Simhasanadvatrimshika 4.p8

4.p8

brāhmaṇenai 'tad rājavacanaṃ śrutvā svamanasi vicāritam: aho rājai 'vaṃ vadati; etat satyaṃ vā mithyā vā? asya pratyayo draṣṭavya iti bhaṇitvā rājakumāraṃ kenāpy aviditaṃ svamandire samgopya tasyā 'laṃkaraṇaṃ bhṛtyahaste dattvā nagaramadhye vikrayārthaṃ preṣitam. tasminn avasare rājamandire rājakumāraḥ kenāpi coreṇa mārita iti mahān kolāhalo jātaḥ. rājñā 'pi svaputramārgaṇāya sarvatrā 'dhikāriṇaḥ preṣitāḥ. tadā te vipaṇimadhye yāvad vilokayanti, tāvad ābharaṇahasto devadattabhṛtyo dṛṣt.aḥ. tatas tad ābharaṇaṃ rājakumārasye 'ti jñātvā taṃ baddhva rajasamīpaṃ ninyuḥ; pṛṣṭaś ca: re pāpiṣṭha, katham etad ābharaṇaṃ tava haste samāgatam? teno 'ktam: mama haste devadattabrāhmaṇena dattam. ahaṃ tasya bhṛtyaḥ; etad ābharaṇaṃ vipaṇimadhye vikrīya dhanam ānaye 'ti preṣitaḥ. tato rājñā devadatto 'py ākārito bhaṇitaś ca: bho devadatta, etad ābharaṇaṃ tava kena dattam? devadatteno 'ktam:

When the brahman heard these the king’s words, he reflected in his heart: “Well, the king says thus and so; but is it true or false? Let us put it to the test.” So saying he took the king’s son, without any one’s knowledge, and concealed him in his own house. And putting one of the prince’s ornaments in the hands of a servant, he sent him into the midst of the city to sell it. Meanwhile a great uproar arose in the king’s house: “Some robber has slain the prince!” And the king sent forth his officers in all directions to search for his son. When they lookt in the middle of the market-place, there they saw Devadatta’s servant with the ornament in his hands. Recognizing the ornament as belonging to the king’s son, they bound the man and took him into the king’s presence, and demanded: “Villain, how did this ornament come into your hands?” Said he: “The brahman Devadatta gave it to me; I am his servant; he sent me forth telling me to sell this ornament in the market-place and bring him the money.” Then the king summoned Devadatta too and said to him: “Devadatta, who gave you this ornament?” Devadatta replied: “No one gave it to me; in my covetousness I myself killed your son and took his ornaments, and gave this one from among them into this man’s hands to sell. Now do what seems best to you; thru the power of my past deeds my character has become what it is.” Thus he spoke and bowed his head. When the king heard his words he was silent.