Simhasanadvatrimshika 6.p5

6.p5

tad vikramārko rājā 'tra samāgataḥ; tam ekam agrahāraṃ yācayitvā kāṃcana kanyakāṃ vivāhya saṃsārasukham anubhaviṣyāmī 'ti vicārya rājasamipam āgatya: jyākṛṣṭibaddhakhaṭakāmukhapāṇipṛṣṭhapreñkhannakhāṅśucayasaṃvalito mṛḍānyāḥ

So I will beg of him a donation of land, marry some girl, and engage in worldly pleasures." Thus reflecting he went into the king's presence and recited this blessing: 6. "May the sidelong glance of Durgā protect you! the glance that is accompanied by a mass of rays from the vibrating nails on the back of her hand, while her fingers are artistically poised [literally, in the khaṭakāmukha-position (mss. kaṭa°)] as for drawing the bowstring; the glance that creates the delusive impression that bees are swarming eagerly upon her ear-garland of flowering twigs." Then the king caused him to sit down and said to him: "Brahman, whence have you come?" Said he: "I remain in this very spot paying devotions to the World-mother. Fifty years have past by while I have been unceasingly doing homage to her. I am a celibate. In the latter part of this past night the goddess came to me in a dream and said: ‘Brahman, for this long time you have undergone hardships in paying homage to me; I am satisfied with you. So do you now take upon yourself the way of life of a householder, and beget a son; afterwards fix your mind on final salvation. Otherwise there can be no happy outcome [or, attainment of heaven] for you. It is said: 7. Having discharged the three debts let a man fix his mind on salvation. He who seeks salvation without having discharged them falls to hell. [A brahman’s three ‘debts’ are: Vedic study (owed to the seers), sacrifice (owed to the gods), and a son (owed to his ancestors).]