Simhasanadvatrimshika 4.p1

4.p1

punar api rājā siṅhāsane yāvad upaviśati, tāvad anyayā puttalikayo 'ktam: yasya vikramasyau 'dāryam asti, tenai 'va siṅhāsanam adhyāsitavyam. rājño 'ktam: kathaya tasyau 'dāryavṛttāntam. puttalikayo 'ktam: bho rājan, śrūyatām. vikramāditye rājyaṃ kurvati tasmin nagare brāhmaṇaḥ kaścit sakalavidyāvicakṣaṇaḥ samastaguṇālaṃkrtaḥ param aputraḥ samabhavat. ekadā svabhāryayo 'ktaḥ: bhoḥ prāṇeśvara, putraṃ vinā gṛhasthasya gatir nā 'stī 'ti smṛtivido vadanti. tathā ca:

When the king again started to mount the throne, another statue said: “Only he who has the magnanimity of Vikrama may mount upon this throne.” The king said: “Tell me a tale of his magnanimity.” The statue said: “Hear, O king.

While Vikramāditya was king there dwelt in that city a certain brahman, who was learned in all branches of knowledge and adorned with all virtues, but had no offspring. One time his wife said to him: “My dear lord, the learned in tradition say that a householder cannot get along [or, ‘cannot go to heaven’] without a son. And so: 1. There is no help [or, ‘no going to heaven’] for a man who has no son; paradise is never, never for him. Therefore only after seeing his son’s face should a man become an ascetic. 2. The moon is the light of night; the sun is the light by day; religion is the light of the three worlds; a good son is the light of the family. And so: 3. The glory of an elephant is his passion; of water, lotuses; of night, the full moon; of a woman, her good character; of a horse, his swiftness; of a house, constant festivals; of speech, good grammar; of rivers, pairs of mating swans; of a council chamber, wise men; of a family, a good son; of the earth, a king; of the three worlds, the sun." The brahman replied: "My dear, you have spoken truly; but tho wealth may be obtained by great effort, and knowledge also by obeying a teacher, glory and offspring cannot be obtained without propitiating the Supreme Lord [Çiva]. And it is said: 4. If a longing for endless happiness makes itself felt in the heart, let one only make a firm resolve and worship constantly the Lord of Bhavānī [Çiva]." His wife answered: "My lord, there is no one more learned than you;