Simhasanadvatrimshika 2.p1

2.p1

punar api bhojarājo yāvat siṃhāsana upaveṣṭuṃ samāgataḥ, tāvad anyā puttalikā bhaṇati: bho rājan, vikramasyau 'dāryaṃ tvayi vidyate cet, tarhy asmin siṃhāsana upaviśa. bhojarājo vadati sma: bhoḥ puttalike, kathaya tasya vikramasyau 'dāryavṛttāntam. sā kathayati: bho rājan, śrūyatām. vikramādityo rājyaṃ kurvann ekadā cārān āhūyā 'bravīt: bho dūtāḥ, bhavantaḥ pṛthivīparibhramaṇaṃ kurvantaḥ pṛthivīmadhye yatra-yatra kautukaṃ tīrthaviśeṣaṃ ca vilokayanti, tan mama nivedayantu, aham tatra gamiṣyami. evaṃ kāle gata ekada deśantaraṃ paribhramyā 'gataḥ kaścid dūto rājāṇam abravīt: bho rājan, citrakūṭaparvatanikaṭe tapovanamadhye 'timanoharaṃ devalayam asti tatra parvatoccasthanād vimalā jaladhārā patati. tatra yadi snānaṃ kriyate, tarhi sarveṣāṃ mahāpātakādīnām api kṣayo bhavati. kiṃ ca: yas tu mahāpātakī snānaṃ karoti, tasyā 'ñgād atīvakṛṣṇam udakaṃ niḥsarati. yas tatra snānaṃ karoti, sa puṇyapuruṣaḥ. anyac ca: tatra kaścid brāhmaṇo mahati homakuṇḍe homaṃ karoti, na jñāyate kiyanti varṣāṇi jātāni. pratidinaṃ kuṇḍād bahiḥsthāpitaṃ bhasma parvatākāram asti. sa brāhmaṇaḥ kenāpi saha na bhāṣate.

When King Bhoja again approacht to mount the throne, another statue said: “O king, if the magnanimity of Vikrama is found in you, then mount upon this throne.” King Bhoja said: “O statue, tell me a tale of this Vikrama’s magnanimity.” She said: “Hear, O king.

Once when Vikramāditya was king he called his spies and said: “Messengers, do you, good sirs, travel about the earth, and wherever in the world you observe any strange thing or any unusually distinguisht place of pilgrimage, report it to me, and I will go thither.” Now after the lapse of some time, once a certain messenger came back from his wanderings in foreign parts and said to the king: “O king, in a penance-grove near Mount Citrakūṭa there is a beautiful shrine. From the top of the mountain in that place flows a pure stream of water. If one bathes there, then he is freed from all his crimes, however great. But if ever a great criminal bathes there, the water flows off from his body exceeding black. Whoever bathes there becomes a righteous man. Moreover a certain brahman has been making offerings there in a great sacrificial fireplace, for no one knows how many years. Every day ashes are taken out of the fireplace (and heapt up) mountain-high. And this brahman does not speak with any one. This very remarkable place I have seen.”