Simhasanadvatrimshika 13.p3

13.p3

asmin puraṇakathanasamaye kaścid brāhmaṇaḥ patnyā saha nadīm uttaran mahāpūreṇa nīyamano hāhākāraṃ kurvan nadītaṭe purāṇaśrotṝn mahājanān prati vadati. bho bho mahājanāḥ, dhāvadhvaṃ dhāvadhvam, esa vṛddhaḥ sapatnīko brāhmaṇo 'haṃ nadīpravāheṇa balān niye; yaḥ ko 'pi sattvādhiko dhārmiko mama sapatnīkasya jivadānaṃ dadātu. jaleno 'hyamānasya dhvaniṃ śrutvā te mahājanaḥ sarve 'pi sakautukaṃ paśyanti, na ko 'pi tasya bhayaṃ prayac chati, na pravāhād apanetuṃ nadīmadhye praviśati. tato vikramārko rājā mā bhaiṣīr iti tasyā 'bhayaṃ dattvā nadīmadhye praviśya patnyā saha taṃ brāhmaṇaṃ mahāpūrād ākṛṣya taṭam ānītavān. brāhmaṇo 'pi svasthaḥ san rājānam avadat: bho mahāsattva, mamai 'tac charīraṃ pūrvaṃ mātāpitṛbhyām utpannam; idānīṃ tvatsakāśād dvitīyaṃ janma prāptam. ataḥ prāṇadānān mahopakāriṇas tava kimapi pratyupakāraṃ na kariṣyāmi cet, mama jīvitaṃ vyartham eva. tasmād godāvaryudakamadhye mayā dvādaśavarṣaparyantaṃ nāmatrayajapaḥ kṛtaḥ, tat puṇyaṃ tubhyaṃ dīyate. anyac ca: yat kṛcchracāndrāyaṇādinā kimapi sukṛtam upārjitam asti, tat samagraṃ tvaṃ gṛhāṇe 'ti bhaṇitvā rājñe tat sarvaṃ puṇyaṃ samarpyā 'śiṣaṃ dattvā patnyā saha nijasthānaṃ jagāma.

At the time of these recitations from the purāṇas a brahman and his wife, as they were crossing the river, were swept away by the strong current. And with shouts of distress the brahman cried unto the great crowd who were listening to the purāṇa on the bank: “Ho, ho there, good people, run quickly, run! I am an aged brahman, with my wife, and we are being violently swept away by the stream of the river. Whoever is a righteous hero among you, let him save my life and my wife’s.” Hearing the cries of the man being swept away by the river, the crowd all lookt on with curiosity, but no one undertook to succor him, nor entered the river to pull him out of the current. Then King Vikramārka reassured him, saying: “Fear not!” and rusht into the river, and pulled the brahman and his wife out of the great stream, and brought them ashore. And the brahman, being saved, said to the king: “Great hero, this body of mine sprang first from my father and mother, but now it has received a second birth from you. If I do not do you some favor in return for this great favor, the gift of my life, then my life will be in vain. Therefore I give to you the merit which I have gained by standing for twelve years in the middle of the Godāvarī river and reciting the Three Names [of the Hindu Trinity]. Moreover, whatever merit I have obtained by penances, the lunar penance and so on, do you take all of it.” Thus speaking he gave the king all this merit, and, reciting a blessing, went away to his own place, together with his wife.