Simhasanadvatrimshika 14.p1

14.p1

punar api rājā yāvat siṃhāsanam āroḍhuṃ prayatate, tadā 'nyā puttalikā 'bravīt: bho rājan, yo rājā vikrama ivau 'dāryādiguṇavān, so 'smin siṃhāsana upaveṣṭuṃ kṣamo ne 'taraḥ. rājñā bhaṇitam: kathaya tasyau 'dāryakathanam. sā 'bravīt: ekadā vikramo rājā pṛthivīmadhye kasmin sthāne kim āścaryam asti, ke vā santaḥ, kiṃ tīrtham, ko vā devatāvāso 'stī 'ti vilokayituṃ yogiveṣeṇa paribhraman nagaram ekam agamat. tannagarasamīpe tapovanam asti. tasmiṃs tapovane jagadambikāyā mahān prāsādo 'bhūt. tatsamīpe nadī vahati. rājā 'pi tatra nadījale snātvā devatāṃ namaskṛtya yāvad āgacchati, tāvad avadhūtavāso nāma kaścid yogī tatrā 'gataḥ. tasyā 'deśaṃ dattvā sukhī bhave 'ty uktas tena saha taddevālaya upaviṣṭaḥ. yogino 'ktam: kuta āgato bhavān? rājño 'ktam: mārgastho 'haṃ ko 'pi tīrthayātrikaḥ. yogino 'ktam: tvaṃ vikramārko rājā nanu, tvam ekado 'jjayinyāṃ mayā dṛṣṭaḥ, ato 'haṃ jānāmi. kimartham āgato 'si? rājā 'bravīt: bho yogin, mamai 'vaṃ manasi vāsanā, pṛthvīparyaṭanāt kimapy āścaryaṃ vilokyate, satāṃ mahatāṃ saṃdarśanam api bhavatī 'ti. avadhūtavāso 'bravīt:

When the king again attempted to ascend the throne, another statue said: "O king, if any king has magnanimity and other virtues like Vikrama, he and no other is worthy to ascend this throne." The king said: "Tell me a tale of his magnanimity." And she said:

Once King Vikrama went forth and wandered about in the guise of an ascetic to examine what marvels there were at the various places upon the earth, and to see what noble men and places of pilgrimage and temples there were. And he came to a certain city, near which there was a penance-grove. And in this penance-grove there was a great temple of the World-mother, while a river flowed near by. Now when the king had bathed in that river and made obeisance to the goddess, as he was approaching, a certain ascetic named Avadhūtavāsa came up. (The king) gave him a salutation, and received the reply “May you be happy,” and sat down with him in the temple. And the ascetic said: “Whence come you, sir?” The king replied: “I am a wayfarer, traveling about to places of pilgrimage.” The ascetic said: “In truth, you are King Vikramārka; I saw you once in Ujjayinī, and so I know you. What have you come here for?” The king answered: “Ascetic, I conceived in my heart the idea that by traveling about the earth I might see some strange sights, and also meet noble and distinguisht men.” Avadhūtavāsa said: “O king, how can you be so mad as to desert such a kingdom and travel in far countries? If in the meantime a sedition should arise, what can you do?” The king replied: “I delivered the entire burden of government into the hands of my ministers before I came away.” Avadhūtavāsa rejoined: “O king, even so you have committed a breach of policy. And it is said: 1. Those princes who deliver the care of their kingdoms into the hands of officials and devote themselves to roaming about at random [or, to careless amusements], are as foolish as if they were to place jars of milk before a crowd of cats and then go to sleep. Moreover, one must not neglect a kingdom, thinking ‘it is already subject to me,’ but even when it is subject to you, you should try to strengthen your hold upon it. And thus it is said: 2. Keep a firm hold on your farming, on knowledge, a merchant, a wife, wealth, and the fortune of royalty, as you would on a cobra’s head.” Hearing this the king said: “Ascetic, all this is nonsense. In such a matter fate alone controls. Even if a man hold his kingdom with the greatest firmness and make all possible provision, and even if he be endowed with the might of a hero, he shall come to destruction if fate be adverse. And thus it is said: 3. Tho Indra had Bṛhaspati for his guide, the thunderbolt for his weapon, the gods for his warriors, heaven for his fortress; tho he had Viṣṇu, as we know, to back him, and tho Airāvaṇa was his (war-)elephant, yet in spite of all this marvelous strength he was beaten by his enemies in battle. Then is not fate rightly (called) our only hope? Alas, alas! vain is manly endeavor. And so: 4. Fair form has no effect, nor noble origin, nor good character, nor even knowledge, nor service rendered (to the gods) with however great zeal. The merited fortune, which a man accumulates thru the penance he has performed, bears fruit for him in time, just like a tree. And furthermore [in the next verse the speaker is Hiraṇyakaçipu, a demon slain by Viṣṇu]: 5. ‘This my breast has bent back the mace-like tusks of Indra’s elephant in battle, and has blunted and ruined the edge of the Club-bearer’s [Çiva’s] ax, yet now it is rent by the claws of the Man-lion [Viṣṇu]. When fate has (at first) not prevailed, even a blade of grass, as a rule, will do duty as a war-club.’ And so: 6. ‘The banyan tree and the five spirits in it both give and take away. Let the dice fall, fair one! That which is to be, will be.’” The ascetic askt: “How was that?” And the king replied: