Simhasanadvatrimshika 25.p1

25.p1

punar api rājā yāvat siṃhāsana upaviśati, tāvad anyā puttalikā 'bravit. bho rājan, yasya vikramasyau 'daryādiguṇā bhavanti, so 'smin siṃhāsana upaveṣṭuṃ kṣamaḥ. rājā bhaṇati: bhoḥ puttalike, kathaya tasyau 'daryādiguṇavṛttāntam. sā 'bravit. śrūyatāṃ rājan. vikramāditye rājyaṃ kurvati saty ekadā kaścij jyotiṣikaḥ samāgatya:

When the king was again ascending the throne, another statue said: "O king, he is worthy to ascend this throne who has the magnanimity and other virtues of Vikrama." The king said: "O statue, tell me a tale of his magnanimity and other virtues." And she said: "Hear, O king.

While Vikramāditya was reigning, one time a certain astrologer came to him, and recited a blessing: 1. "May the sun grant you heroism; may the moon also grant you the station of Indra; may Mars grant you fortune; may Mercury grant you wisdom; may Jupiter grant you dignity; may Venus grant you happiness; may Saturn grant you peace; may Rāhu [the dragon's head, the demon of eclipse, regarded as a planet] grant you always strength of arm; may Ketu ['the dragon's tail,' the ninth planet] grant you increase of family; may all the planets be kind and favorable to you forever." [All the boons mentioned contain puns on the names of the planets.] Then he expounded the almanac. And having heard the almanac, the king askt the astrologer: "O soothsayer, what fruitage will there be in this year?" The soothsayer said: "In this year the sun is king, Mars is minister, Saturn is ruler of the harvest, and Mars is ruler of the clouds. Moreover, Saturn, Mars, and Venus will pass thru (the constellation of) Rohiṇī's car, cutting it. Therefore there will certainly be a drought. And it is said by Varāhamihira [author of a famous book on astrology]: 2. When Saturn, Mars, and Venus pass thru the car of Rohiṇī cutting it, then for twelve years the rain-cloud inevitably sends no rain. And so: 3. If Saturn cuts the car of Rohiṇī, the earth receives fiery-red floods (of sun’s rays, instead of water); need I say what happens? For it is not in a sea of water (but of fire) that the whole world goes to destruction. And in another saying: 4. When this Saturn cuts the car of Rohiṇī, then for twelve years the rain-cloud sends no rain upon earth.” Hearing these words of the soothsayer the king said: “O soothsayer, is there no means of averting this drought?” The soothsayer said: “There is no other than this; if a performance of offerings and the like to the planets is made, there will be rain.” So the king summoned the brahmans learned in scripture and told them the whole story, and caused them to commence a sacrifice. All the preparations for the sacrifice were brought together, and the brahmans performed the sacrifices to the nine planets in the manner prescribed in the ritual books, and a full-offering was made for the purpose of perfecting the virtue of the sacrifice. The king gratified the brahmans with money, food, garments, and the like, and gave the ten regular gifts, and then gave contentment with a great largess to the poor, the blind, the deaf, the deformed, and so on. But still it did not rain.