[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Epic, Poetry, Drama & Narrative](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit) › [Story collections and fables](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories) › [Simhasanadvatrimshika](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana) › 24.p1 # Simhasanadvatrimshika 24.p1 Siṃhāsanadvātriṃśikā 24.p1 - **Language:** Sanskrit ### [24.p1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana.24.p1) punar api rājā yāvat siṃhāsana upaviśati, tāvad anyā puttalikā bhaṇati: bho rājan, yasya vikramasyau 'dāryādayo guṇā bhavanti, so 'smin siṃhāsana upaveṣṭuṃ kṣamo 'nyo na. rājño 'ktam: bhoḥ puttalike, kathaya tasyau 'dāryavṛttāntam. sā 'bravīt: śrūyatāṃ rājan. vikramādityasya rājye purandarapurī nāma nagarī samabhūt. tatra mahādhanikaḥ kaścid vanig āsīt. tasya catvāraḥ putrāḥ santi. tato mahati kāle gacchati vṛddhaḥ sa vaṇig vyādhito maraṇasamaye caturaḥ putrān āhūyā 'vādīt: bhoḥ putrāḥ, mayi mṛte bhavatāṃ caturṇām ekatrā 'vasthānaṃ bhavati vā na vā, paścād vivādo bhaviṣyati. tarhy ahaṃ jīvann eva bhavatāṃ caturṇāṃ jyeṣṭhānukramaṃ vibhāgaṃ kṛtavān asmi. atra mañcakasya caturṇāṃ pādānām adhaś catvāro bhāgā nikṣiptāḥ; jyeṣṭhakaniṣṭhakrameṇa gṛhṇīdhvam. tathā ca tair aṅgīkṛtam. tatas tasmin paralokaṃ gate sati catvāro bhrātaro māsam ekatra sthitāḥ. tatas teṣāṃ strīṇāṃ parasparaṃ kalaho jātaḥ. tadanantaraṃ tair vicāritam: kim atra kolāhalaḥ kriyate? asmatpitrā jīvatai 'va pūrvaṃ caturṇāṃ vibhāgaḥ kṛtaḥ; tanmañcādhaḥsthitaṃ vibhāgadravyaṃ gṛhītvā vibhaktā eva sukhena tiṣṭhāma ity uktvā yāvan mañcādhaḥ khananti tāvac caturṇāṃ pādānām adhaś catvāri tāmrasaṃpuṭāni nirgatāni. teṣāṃ madhya ekasmin saṃpuṭe mṛttikā, ekatrā 'ṅgārāḥ, anyatrā 'sthīni, ekatra palālaḥ. etac catuṣṭayaṃ dṛṣṭvā te catvāraḥ parasparaṃ vismayaṃ gatāḥ procuḥ: aho asmatpitrā samyagvibhāgaḥ kṛtaḥ; ayaṃ vibhāgakramaḥ kena jñayate? ity uktva sabhām upaviśya tasyāḥ purato nivedito 'yaṃ vṛttāntaḥ. sabhyair vibhāgakramo na jñātaḥ. punas te catvaro bhrataro yatra yatra nagare jñātāraḥ santi, teṣam purato nivedayanty amum vṛttāntam; paraṃ te 'pi nirṇayan na cakruḥ. > When the king was again ascending the throne, another statue said: "O king, whosoever has the magnanimity and other virtues of Vikrama, he and no other is worthy to ascend this throne." The king said: "O statue, tell me a tale of his magnanimity." And she said: "Hear, O king. > — Franklin Edgerton 1926, Vikrama's Adventures, or The Thirty-two Tales of the Throne > In Vikramāditya's kingdom there was a city named Purandarapurī. Here dwelt a certain rich merchant, who had four sons. In the course of a long time this merchant, having grown old, fell sick; and at the time of his death, he called his four sons and said: "My sons, after I am dead, whether you four live in the same place or not, in time there will arise a quarrel among you. Therefore before my death I have made a division of property among you four, in order of age. Right here under the four feet of my bed I have buried the four portions; take them in order, from the oldest to the youngest." And they agreed to do this. Now when the father had departed this life, the four brothers lived in harmony for a month. But then a quarrel arose among their wives. And thereupon they reflected: "Why this quarrel? While our father was still alive he made an allotment for us four; so we will take the allotted property as placed under his bed, and actually getting our parts we shall live in peace." So digging under the bed, they brought forth from under its four feet four copper vessels. Of these there was earth in one vessel, coals in one, bones in one, and straw in one. Seeing these four things, the four brothers were greatly perplext and said to one another: "Well! our father has indeed made a complete division! But this way of making it, — who can understand?" Thus speaking they went into the council and told the story there, but the councillors could not understand the way of dividing it. After this the four brothers went to all the cities in which experts were found, and told that matter to them, but even they could not solve it. Once they came to Ujjayinī, and went into the king's council, and told of the matter of the allotment before the king and the council \[or, the king's council\], but the king and the council did not understand the way of allotment. After this they came finally to the city of Pratiṣṭhāna, and told the nobles of that place; but they also did not know the solution. At this time Çālivāhana was there in the house of a potter. And hearing that matter he came forward and said to the nobles: "Good sirs, what mystery is here, and what marvel? How is it that you do not know the method of this allotment?" They said: "Young man, to us it is a marvel and a mystery; if you know how, tell us the method of the allotment." Çālivāhana said: "These four are the sons of one rich man. While their father was still alive he made an allotment for them in order, from the oldest to the youngest, in the following way. To the oldest he gave earth: that means, he gave (him) all the land which he possest. To the next he gave straw: that is, he gave (him) all the grain which he had. To the third he gave bones: that is, he gave (him) all the cattle that he had. To the fourth he gave coals: that is, he gave (him) all the gold that he had." Thus the problem of their allotment was solved by Çālivāhana, and they went to their own city content. > — Franklin Edgerton 1926, Vikrama's Adventures, or The Thirty-two Tales of the Throne - [Previous: 23.p9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana.23.p9) - [Next: 24.p2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana.24.p2) - [Up: 24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana.24) ## Translations (2) - [Vikrama's Adventures, or The Thirty-two Tales of the Throne](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana~en-edgerton.24.p3) — Franklin Edgerton 1926, English - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana~en-mt.24.p1) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana.24.p1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana.24.p1) · Pramāṇa