Simhasanadvatrimshika 30.p1

30.p1

punar api rājā yāvat siṃhāsana upaviśati, tāvad anyā puttalikā bhaṇati: bho rājan, yas tu vikrama ivau 'dāryādiguṇayuktaḥ, so 'smin siṃhāsana upaviśatu. rājā 'bravīt: bhoḥ puttalike, kathaya tasyau 'dāryavṛttāntam. sā 'bravīt: śrūyatāṃ rājan. ekadā sakalasāmantarājakumārair upāsyamāno vikramo rājā siṃhāsana upaviṣṭo 'bhūt. tasmin samaye kaścid aindrajālikaḥ samāgatya brahmāyur bhave 'ty āśiṣam uktvā bhaṇati: bho deva, tvaṃ sakalakalābhijñaḥ; tava samīpam āgatyā 'nekair aindrajālikair lāghavāni darśitāni; tarhy adya mamai 'kaṃ lāghavaṃ suprasannena nirīkṣaṇīyam. rājño 'ktam: ne 'dānīm avasaro 'smākam; snānabhojanavelā jātā; prabhāte drakṣyāmaḥ. tataḥ prabhāte lāghavī mahākāyo mahāśmaśrubhir dedīpyamānavadanaḥ kare khaḍgaṃ gṛhītvā 'timanoharayā striyā kayācid yukto rājasabhām upaviṣṭo rājñe namaścakāra. tadā tatratyair adhikāribhis taṃ mahākāyaṃ dṛṣṭvā savismayaiḥ pṛṣṭam: bho vīra, ko bhavān, kutaḥ samāgataḥ? teno 'ktam: ahaṃ mahendrasya sevakaḥ, kadācit svāminā śapto bhūmaṇḍale patitas tiṣṭhāmi. iyaṃ mama bhāryā. adya devadaityānāṃ mahad yuddhaṃ prārabdham; tarhy ahaṃ tatra gacchāmi. ayaṃ rājā vikramādityaḥ paranārīsahodaraḥ; asya samīpe bhāryāṃ nikṣipya yuddhārthaṃ gamiṣyāmi. tac chrutvā rājā 'pi paraṃ vismayaṃ gataḥ. tenā 'pi rājasamipe bhāryāṃ nikṣipya rājñe nivedya sakhaḍgena yāvad gaganam praty utpatitam tāvad ākāśe mahān bhairavārāvo re re māraya māraya ghātaya ghātaye 'ti vāg abhūt. atha sarve 'pi sabhāyām upaviṣṭā lokā ūrdhvamukhāḥ sakautukam apaśyan. tadanantaraṃ muhūrte gate rājasabhāmadhye gaganāt sakhaḍgo raktaliptas tasyai 'ko bāhuḥ patitaḥ. tadā sarvair ālokya bhaṇitam. aho mahān ayam vīraḥ saṃgrāme pratibhaṭair hataḥ, tasyai 'kaḥ sakhaḍgo bāhuḥ patitaḥ. evaṃ vadati sabhopaviṣṭe jane punaḥ śiraś ca papāta, tataḥ kabandhaś ca patitaḥ. taṃ dṛṣṭvā tasya yoṣitā bhaṇitam: bho deva, mama bhartā raṇāṅgaṇe yuddhaṃ vidhāya śatrubhir nihataḥ.

When the king once more was ascending the throne, another statue said: "O king, let him ascend this throne who is endowed with magnanimity and other virtues like Vikrama." The king said: "O statue, tell me a tale of his magnanimity." And she said: "Hear, O king.

Once King Vikrama, attended by all his vassal princes, had ascended his throne. At this time a certain magician came in, and blessing him with the words "Live forever!" said: "Sire, you are skilled in all the arts; many magicians have come into your presence and exhibited their tricks. So today be so good as to behold an exhibition of my dexterity." The king said: "I have not time now; it is the time to bathe and eat. Tomorrow I will behold it." So on the morrow the juggler came into the king's assembly as a stately man, with a mighty beard and glorious countenance, holding a sword in his hand, and accompanied by a lovely woman; and he bowed to the king. Then the ministers who were present, seeing the stately man, were astonisht, and askt: "O hero, who are you, and whence do you come?" He said: "I am a servant of Great Indra; I was curst once by my lord, and was cast down to earth; and now I dwell here. And this is my wife. Today a great battle has begun between the gods and the Dāityas [demons], so I am going thither. This King Vikramāditya treats other men's wives as his sisters, so before going to the battle I wish to leave my wife with him." Hearing this the king also was greatly amazed. And the man left his wife with the king and delivered her over to him, and sword in hand flew up into heaven. Then a great and terrible shouting was heard in the sky: "Ho there, kill them, kill them, smite them, smite them!" were the words they heard.

And all the people who sat in the court, with upturned faces, gazed in amazement. After this, when a moment had past by, one of the man’s arms, holding his sword and stained with blood, fell from the sky into the king’s assembly. Then all the people, seeing it, said: “Ah, this great hero has been killed in battle by his opponents; his sword and one arm have fallen.” While the people who sat in the court were even saying this, again his head fell also; and then his trunk fell too. And seeing this his wife said: “Sire, my husband, fighting on the field of battle, has been slain by the enemy. His head, his arm, his sword, and his trunk have fallen down here. So, that this my beloved may not be wooed by the heavenly nymphs, I will go to where he is. Let fire be provided for me.” Hearing her words the king said: “My daughter, why will you enter the fire? I will guard you even as my own daughter; preserve your body.” She said: “Sire, what is this you say? My lord, for whom this body of mine exists, has been slain on the battlefield by his foes. Now for whose sake shall I preserve this body? Moreover, you should not say this, since even fools know that wives should follow their husbands. For thus it is said: 1. Moonlight goes with the moon, the lightning clings to the cloud, and women follow their husbands; even fools know this. And so, as the learned tradition has it: 2.