Simhasanadvatrimshika f7.p5

f7.p5

tato rājakumāro vanaṃ gatvā bahūñ chvāpadān vyāpādya kṛṣṇasāraṃ dṛṣṭvā tadanugato mahad araṇyaṃ praviṣṭo yāvat paśyati, tāvat sarvo 'pi sainyavargaḥ svanagaramārge lagnaḥ. kṛṣṇasāro 'pi tatrai 'vā 'dṛśyo jātaḥ. svayam ekākī turagārūḍhaḥ puraḥ sarovaram adrākṣīt. tatrā 'śvād avatīrṇo vṛkṣaśākhāyām aśvaṃ nibadhya jalapānaṃ vidhāya yāvad vṛkṣachāyām upaviśati, tāvad atibhayaṃkaraḥ kaścid vyāghraḥ samāgataḥ. taṃ vyāghraṃ dṛṣṭvā 'śvaḥ palāyamāno nagaramārgam agamat. rājakumāro 'pi bhayād vepamānāṅgaḥ śākhām ālambya vṛkṣam ārūḍhaḥ. pūrvārūḍhaṃ bhallūkaṃ dṛṣṭvā punar atyantabhayaṃ prāptaḥ. tatas tena bhallūkena bhaṇitam: bho rājakumāra, mā bhaiṣīḥ; adya mama śaraṇāgatas tvam; atas tavā 'haṃ kimapy aniṣṭaṃ na kariṣyāmi. mayi viśvasya vyāghrād api na bhetavyam. rājakumāreṇa bhaṇitam: bho ṛkṣarāja, ahaṃ tava śaraṇāgato viśeṣato bhayabhītaḥ; ato mahat puṇyaṃ śaraṇāgatarakṣaṇena bhavati. uktaṃ ca:

Then the prince went to the forest, killed many wild beasts, and, spotting a black antelope, pursued it and entered a great wilderness. When he looked around, he found that all his troops had turned back along the road to his city. The black antelope also vanished right there. Alone on horseback, he saw a lake ahead of him. There he dismounted from his horse, tied it to a tree branch, and drank water; but just as he sat down in the shade of the tree, a terrifying tiger appeared. Seeing the tiger, the horse bolted and fled along the road to the city. The prince, his limbs trembling with fear, caught hold of a branch and climbed the tree. Seeing a bear that had already climbed up before him, he was seized with extreme terror once again. Then that bear said: "Prince, do not fear! Today you have sought refuge with me, so I will do you no harm whatsoever. Trusting in me, you need not even fear the tiger." The prince said: "O king of bears, I have sought refuge with you, especially as I am terrified by fear; therefore, great merit arises from protecting one who has sought refuge. And it is said: