Simhasanadvatrimshika 16.p3

16.p3

evaṃvidhaṃ vasantavilāsaṃ dṛṣṭvā mantrī sumantro rājasamīpam āgatyo 'ktavān: bho deva, ṛturājo vasantaḥ samāgataḥ. adya vasantapūjā kartavyā; tasmin pūjite sarva ṛtavaḥ prasannā bhaviṣyanti, sarvalokasya śrīr bhaviṣyati, sarvasyā 'py ariṣṭaśāntir bhaviṣyati. tasya vacanaṃ śrutvā rājā 'ṅgīkṛtya vasantapūjāsāmagrīsaṃpādane tam evā 'diṣṭavān. tataḥ sa mantrī sumanoharaṃ sabhāmaṇḍapaṃ kārayitvā vedaśāstrajñān brāhmaṇān gītavādyanṛtyābhijñān nartakān vilāsinīś ca samāhvayat. itare yācakalokā dīnāndhabadhirapaṅgukubjādayaś ca svayam evā 'gatāḥ. tatra sabhāmaṇḍape navaratnakhacitaṃ siṃhāsanaṃ sthāpitam; tasmin siṃhāsane lakṣmīnārāyaṇapratimādvayaṃ pratiṣṭhitam. tasya pūjārthaṃ kuṅkumakarpūrakastūrikācandanāgaruprabhṛtisugandhadravyāṇi samānītāni, jātīcūtanavamallikākundaśatapattramadanamaruvakacampaketakīprabhṛtīni puṣpāṇi samānītāni. evaṃ sarvasaṃvidhāne saṃpanne rājā svayam nārāyaṇasya ṣoḍaśopacāraṃ kārayitvā brāhmaṇādikalākuśalāñ janān vastrādinā saṃbhāvitavān; tadanantaraṃ gāyakā vasantarāgeṇa stutiṃ kṛtvā vasantaṃ jaguḥ. tato rājā teṣāṃ vīṭikāṃ dattvā saṃpreṣyā 'vaśiṣṭān paṅgvandhādīn suvarṇadānena saṃtoṣayām āsa. tasmin samaye kaścid brāhmaṇo haste kāṃcana kanyakāṃ gṛhītvā rājasamīpam āgatya:

Seeing all this sportiveness of the spring-time, the minister Sumantra came into the king’s presence and said: “O king, the king of seasons, the spring, has arrived; let a festival in honor of Spring be held today. If you pay honor to Spring, all the Seasons will be made well-disposed to you, and prosperity will come to all people, and there will be an end of the misery of everyone.” When the king heard his words he agreed, and ordered that same minister to provide all the necessary preparations for the rites in honor of Spring. So the minister caused to be erected a very beautiful assembly-pavilion, and summoned brahmans skilled in Vedas and lawbooks, dancers acquainted with song and music and dancing, and charming women. And the wretched, blind, deaf, lame, deformed, and all the other beggars, came without being summoned. And in that assembly-pavilion a throne was set up, studded with all the nine gems, and upon the throne were placed two statues of Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa [Viṣṇu]. To pay honor to the images all manner of sweet perfumed substances were brought together, such as saffron, camphor, musk, sandalwood, and aloes-wood; and flowers were gathered, such as jasmine, mango, navamallikā and kunda [kinds of jasmine], day-lotuses, madana-flowers, marjoram [?], campa, and ketakī. When all things needful were thus duly made ready, the king himself had the sixteen-fold service performed to Nārāyaṇa, and presented the brahmans and other people trained in the various arts with garments and other gifts. After this the singers, having composed a song of praise in the “spring” mode, sang to Spring. And the king, when he had given them betel and dīsmist them, gave satisfaction to the rest, the lame, the blind, and so on, with gifts of gold. At this moment a certain brahman came into the king’s presence, holding a little girl by the hand. And first he spoke this blessing: 3. “May blessings be granted you by the face of Ambikā [Pārvatī], who was adorned with a wrist-band of snakes at her marriage with the Club-bearer [Çiva]; her face, that straightway bends down with mightily confused glance in shame at the half-spoken words ‘Homage to Çiva.’ ” And then he said: “O king, I have a petition.” The king said: “Declare it.” And the brahman said: “I am a dweller in the city of Nandivardhana. Sons—eight of them—were born to me, but no daughter. So I with my wife made this vow before the Mother of the World: ‘O Mother, if a daughter is born to me, I will name her for you, and furthermore I will give her weight in gold and the girl herself to some Veda-learned suitor.’ Now the present time is the very time for her marriage; Jupiter is in the eleventh astrological mansion; and the time for doing it will not recur in the coming year. So, knowing that there was no one on earth except Vikrama who would give her weight in gold, I have come into your presence.” The king replied: “Brahman, you have done well. Take as much money as you need.” And he called his treasurer and said: “Dravyadata, give this brahman the weight of this girl in gold, and apart from this eight crores of gold in addition for the ‘series of eight’ [see our Composite Outline, 16, note 6; page lxxxviii].” So at his command Dravyadata gave the brahman that amount of gold. And the brahman was greatly delighted and went with his daughter to his own city. And the king in an auspicious moment entered the city.