Simhasanadvatrimshika 24.p8

24.p8

ity āśiṣam uktavān. tato rājñā bhaṇitam: bho brāhmaṇa, kutaḥ samāgato 'si? brāhmaṇeno 'ktam: ahaṃ pratiṣṭhānanagarād āgataḥ. rājño 'ktam: kiṃ vadasi? brāhmaṇo vadati: bhavān arthijanacintāmaṇiḥ; yataś cintitaṃ vastu dātuṃ samarthaḥ. ato mamai 'kasmin vastuni prītir asti; tad dīyate yadi, tarhi vadāmi. rājño 'ktam: yat tvayā yācyate, tad ahaṃ dāsyāmi. brāhmaṇeno 'ktam: mahyam amṛtaghaṭo dātavyaḥ. rājño 'ktam: tvaṃ kena preṣito 'si? brāhmaṇeno 'ktam: ahaṃ śālivāhanena preṣitaḥ. tac chrutvā rājñā vicāritam: mayā pūrvam asmai dāsyāmī 'ty uktam, idānīṃ na dīyate cet, apakīrtir adharmo 'pi syāt. ataḥ sarvathā dātavyam eva. brāhmaṇeno 'ktam: bho rājan, kiṃ vicāryate? bhavān sajjanaḥ; sajjanasya bhāṣitaṃ punaruktaṃ na bhavati. tathā co 'ktam:

Then the king said: “O brahman, whence have you come?” The brahman said: “I come from Pratiṣṭhāna-city.” The king said: “What have you to say?” The brahman replied: “Your majesty is a wishing-stone for all petitioners, since you are able to give any good thing desired. Now I have a desire for a certain good thing; if you will grant it, then I will tell you what it is.” The king said: “I will give you whatever you ask.” The brahman said: “Give me the jar of nectar.” The king said: “By whom were you sent?” The brahman replied: “I was sent by Çālivāhana.” Hearing this the king reflected: “Since I first said to him ‘I will give it,’ if I now do not give it, it will be a disgrace and a sin. So by all means I must give it.” The brahman said: “O king, why do you hesitate? You are a righteous man, and a righteous man’s promise is not taken back. And thus it is said: 9. Tho the sun rise in the western quarter, tho Mount Meru be moved and fire become cold, tho a water-lily bloom forth on a rock upon a mountain-top, the promises of righteous men shall not be taken back. And so: 10. Even today Çiva does not give up (the poison) kālakūṭa (which he swallowed at the churning of the ocean); the world-tortoise still carries the earth upon his back; the sea still endures the underworld fire, hard tho it be to endure. The righteous stand by what they have agreed to.”