Simhasanadvatrimshika 2.p1

2.p1

Once again, as King Bhoja approached to sit upon the throne, another statuette says: "O king, if the generosity of Vikrama exists in you, then sit upon this throne." King Bhoja said: "O statuette, tell the story of that Vikrama's generosity." She says: "O king, listen. While ruling the kingdom, Vikramāditya once summoned his spies and said: 'O envoys, as you wander the earth, wherever within the earth you observe a marvel or an extraordinary sacred site, report that to me; I shall go there.' When time had thus passed, an envoy once returned from wandering through other lands and said to the king: 'O king, near Mount Citrakūṭa, in the midst of a penance-grove, there is a most captivating temple. There, from a high place on the mountain, falls a clear stream of water. If one bathes there, then all evils, even the great sins, are destroyed. Moreover, when a great sinner bathes, very black water pours from his body. Whoever bathes there is a man of merit. Furthermore, a certain brahmin performs oblations there in a huge sacrificial pit; it is not known how many years have passed. The ash deposited outside the pit every day is the size of a mountain. That brahmin speaks to no one.