Simhasanadvatrimshika 20.p8

20.p8

punar api ṣaḍyojanāni gatvā purato yāvad gacchanti, tāvan mahākarālavadano viṣāgnim udvamann atibhayaṃkaraḥ sarpo mārgam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati. te 'pi taṃ sarpaṃ dṛṣṭvā sabhayāḥ palāyya gatāḥ. rājā punar api mārge gantuṃ pravṛttaḥ. sarpaḥ samāgatya rājānaṃ veṣṭayitvā 'daśat. tatas tena veṣṭito 'pi viṣavegān mūrchāṃ gacchann atidurgamam tam parvatam āruhya yoginam trikālanātham dṛṣṭvā namaścakāra. yogisaṃdarśanamātreṇa sarpas taṃ muktvā gataḥ, rājā 'pi nirviṣo jātaḥ. yogino 'ktam: bho mahāsattva, mahāpramādabhūyiṣṭham etad amānuṣaṃ sthānam atikaṣṭena kimartham āgato 'si? rājño 'ktam: bhoḥ svāminn aham bhavatsaṃdarśanārtham eva samāgato 'smi. yogino 'ktam. mahākaṣṭam anubhūtaṃ tvayā? rājño 'ktam. kimapi kaṣṭaṃ nā 'sti, bhavatsaṃdarśanamātreṇa sakalam api pātakaṃ gatam; kaṣṭaṃ kiyat? adyā 'haṃ dhanyo 'smi, yato mahatāṃ darśanam atidurlabham. kiṃ ca. yāvad idaṃ śarīraṃ sudṛḍham indriyāṇi dṛḍhāni ca, tāvad evā 'tmahitam anuṣṭheyam.

And when they had gone six leagues farther, as they would go forward, a fearful dragon with huge gaping jaws, spitting poisonous fire, stood blocking the way. And when they saw the dragon they all fled in terror; but the king continued on the way. The dragon came up and coiled itself about the king and bit him. And tho encircled by the dragon, and becoming paralyzed by the venom’s power, he climbed that very rugged mountain, and came into sight of the ascetic Trikālanātha, and bowed before him. And at the mere sight of the ascetic the dragon left him and departed, and the king was freed from the poison. The ascetic said: “Noble hero, why have you come with great suffering to this inhuman [desert?] place, in such a very imprudent fashion?” The king said: “My lord, I have come simply to see you.” The ascetic said: “Have you suffered great hardships?” The king replied: “Not at all. By the mere sight of your reverence all my sin has vanisht; what hardships are there? Today I am fortunate; for it is very hard to visit great saints. Moreover, as long as the body is whole and the faculties are sound, even so long a man ought to strive for his own improvement. And thus it is said: 10. As long as this whole body is sound and in good health, and old age is afar off, and as long as the power of the faculties is unimpaired and one’s life is not spent, even so long should a prudent man make great efforts for his soul’s welfare. But when your house is in flames, why try to stop it by digging a well?”