Simhasanadvatrimshika 8.p4

8.p4

evaṃ vikrame rājyaṃ kurvati saty ekadā cārā bhūmaṇḍalaṃ paribhramya rājasakāśam āgatā rājñā pṛṣṭāḥ procuḥ: bho rājan, kāśmīradeśe mahādravyasaṃpannaḥ kaścid vaṇig āste. tena vaṇijā pañcakrośavistāraṃ taṭākam ekaṃ khānitam; tanmadhye jalaśayanasya nārāyaṇasya devālayaṃ kāritam; param udakaṃ na lagati. punas tena vaṇijā jalodgamananimittaṃ varuṇam uddiśya brāhmaṇaiś caturvidhahavanam abhiṣekādi kāritam. tathā 'py udakaṃ na lagati. tataḥ khinnaḥ san sa vaṇik taṭākapālyupary upaviṣṭaḥ pratidinaṃ niśvasiti: aho kenāpy upāyeno 'dakaṃ na lagati; vṛthā śramo jāta iti. ekadā taṭākapālyām upaviṣṭe sati gagane 'mānuṣā vāg āsīt: kim iti, bho vaṇikputra, kimarthaṃ niśvasiṣi? dvātriṃśallakṣaṇayuktasya puruṣasya kaṇṭharaktena yadā taṭākaṃ sicyate, tada vimalodakaṃ bhaviṣyati, nā 'nyathā. tac chrutvā tena vaṇijā taṭākapālyupari mahad annasattraṃ maṇḍitam; tasmin sattre bhoktuṃ svadeśavāsino janāḥ sarve samāyānti; tatra sthitā adhikāriṇas teṣāṃ deśavāsināṃ purata evaṃ vadanti: yaḥ ko 'pi svakaṇṭharudhireṇa taṭākaṃ secayiṣyati tasya śatabhāraṃ suvarṇaṃ dīyate. iti tadvacaḥ sarve 'pi śṛṇvanti, na ko 'pi tat sāhasam aṅgīkaroti. evaṃvidhaṃ mahac citraṃ dṛṣṭam.

While Vikrama was thus ruling, one time his spies returned to the king's presence after wandering about the earth's surface, and being questioned by the king said: "Sire, in the land of Kashmir there is a certain very wealthy merchant. This merchant caused to be dug a reservoir five kroças [about ten miles] in extent, and in it had built a shrine to Nārāyaṇa [Viṣṇu] 'Resting-on-the-Water'; but no water would stay therein. Again, in order to produce water there, this merchant caused the brahmans to perform an entire four-fold ritual service, including the coronation rite, in honor of Varuṇa; but still the water would not stay there. On this account that merchant was much distrest, and sat every day on the edge of the pond and sighed: 'Alas, the water will in no wise stay here; my labor has been in vain.' Now one day when he was sitting on the edge of the reservoir, there was heard a superhuman voice in heaven, saying: 'How now, son of a merchant! Why do you sigh? When the pond is sprinkled with blood from the neck of a man bearing the thirty-two superior marks, then pure water will stay in it, and not otherwise.' Hearing this the merchant fitted out a great dining-pavilion on the edge of the pond; and all the people who dwelt in his country came together to eat in this pavilion. And the superintendents who stood there made proclamation thus before the people of the country: 'A hundred bhāras ['loads'] of gold shall be given to whatever man will sprinkle this pond with blood from his own neck.’ They all heard this announcement, but no one agreed to undertake the heroic deed. This very strange thing have we seen.”