Simhasanadvatrimshika 12.p12

12.p12

ity evaṃ vicārya deśāntaraṃ gataḥ. paribhraman himācalasamīpasthitaṃ nagaram ekam agamat. tasya nagarasya nā 'tidūre veṇūnāṃ vanam abhūt. svayaṃ grāmābhyantaraṃ gatvā rātrau kasyacid gṛhe vedikāyāṃ supto 'rdharātrasamaye veṇuvanamadhye rudantyāḥ kasyāścit striyo hāhākāro 'bhūt: bho mahājanāḥ, māṃ paritrāyadhvaṃ paritrāyadhvam; eṣa ko 'pi rākṣaso māṃ mārayatī 'ti rodanam aśrauṣīt. tataḥ prabhātasamaye grāmavāsino janān apṛcchat; bho mahājanāḥ, kim evam atra veṇuvane? kā strī rātrau rodati? tair uktam: atra vane pratidinam evaṃ rātrau rodanadhvaniḥ śrūyate; paraṃ tu ko 'pi bhayān na gacchati na vicārayati ca. tataḥ purandaraḥ svanagaram āgatya rājānam adrākṣīt. tato rājñā pṛṣṭaḥ: bhoḥ purandara, deśāntaraṃ paribhramatā tvayā kim apūrvaṃ dṛṣṭam? tataḥ purandaro veṇuvanavṛttāntam akathayat. rājā tat kautukaṃ śrutvā tena saha tan nagaram āgatya rātrau veṇuvanamadhye striyā rodanaśabdaṃ śrutvā yāvad vanamadhye praviśati, tāvad atibhayaṃkaraṃ rudantīm anāthāṃ striyaṃ mārayantaṃ rākṣasam ekam apaśyat; abravīc ca: re pāpiṣṭha, striyam anāthāṃ kimarthaṃ mārayasi?

Thus reflecting he went into a far country. And as he wandered he came to a certain city located near the Himālaya. And not far from this city there was a grove of bamboo. And he himself came to the outskirts of the town, and slept at night on a bench in some one’s house. And at midnight he heard the shrieks of some woman crying in the bamboo grove: “Good people, save me, save me, some rākṣasa here is killing me!” Having heard these cries, early in the morning he askt the people of the town: “Good people, what is this in the bamboo grove here? Who is the woman that cries by night?” And they said: “Every night the sound of these cries is heard there in the grove. But every one is afraid to go and find what it is.” Then Purandara returned to his own city, and went to see the king. And the king askt him: “Purandara, what noteworthy thing have you seen while traveling in foreign parts?” Then Purandara told the king the story of the bamboo grove. And hearing of this strange occurrence the king set out with him for that city. And hearing at night the sound of the woman’s wailing in the bamboo grove he went into the grove, and saw a very hideous rākṣasa in the act of murdering a helplessly screaming woman. And he said: “Wretch, why do you kill a helpless woman?” And the rākṣasa said: “What is that to you? Go your own way, or you shall die a useless death at my hands.” Then they two fought, and the rākṣasa was killed by the king. Then the woman came and fell at the king’s feet and said: “My lord, by your grace the limit of my curse has come; you have brought me out of a great ocean of misery.” And the king said: “Who are you?” And she replied: “Listen. In this very city there was an extremely rich brahman. His wife was I; but I was wanton and cared nothing for him, altho he had a great affection for me. And I, having overweening pride in my beauty and charms, would not come when he bade me lie with him. Therefore, having been tormented with love all his life, at the time of his death my husband curst me, saying: ‘Look now, O wicked and perverse woman! Since all my life I have been tormented because of you, accordingly a hideous rākṣasa that lives in the bamboo grove shall come and enjoy you, much against your will, every night, and shall slay you.’ Thus he curst me. But I prayed for a limit to the curse, (saying): ‘Nay, my lord, grant a limit to the curse.’ And he said: ‘When some man endowed with great valor and devoted to the service of others shall come hither and kill the rākṣasa, then the limit to your curse will come.’ Thus have I been freed from the curse thru you. Now I am at the point of death; and I have nine jars full of gold, which will be wasted. Do you take them.” So speaking she told the king the place where the gold was; and her life left her. But the king gave the nine jars full of riches to the merchant Purandara, and returned with him to Ujjayinī.