Simhasanadvatrimshika 24.p3

24.p3

King Vikrama also, having heard this report of the determination of the division, was struck with great wonder and sent a letter to the city of Pratiṣṭhāna, saying: "Hail! King Vikrama, having first inquired after your welfare, says to the distinguished citizens residing in the city of Pratiṣṭhāna, who are devoted to the six duties of sacrificing and performing sacrifices for others, studying and teaching, giving and receiving gifts, and who are dedicated to virtues such as restraint and observance: let him who settled the division of these four in your town be sent into our presence." The distinguished citizens, having read the letter sent by the king, summoned Śālivāhana and said: "O Śālivāhana, the supreme king of kings, the sovereign lord, whose feet are bowed to by rival rulers of the earth, King Vikrama, dweller of Ujjayinī, the wishing-tree of all supplicants, summons you. Go there." He said: "How great is King Vikrama? I will not go just because he summons me. If he has business, let him come himself. I have no business with him at all." Having heard his words, the distinguished citizens sent a letter back to the king saying, "He will not go." Then the king, hearing the contents written in the letter, his body blazing with the fire of wrath, set out with an army of eighteen akṣauhiṇīs, arrived at the city of Pratiṣṭhāna, surrounded it, and sent envoys to Śālivāhana. Then the envoys approached and said to Śālivāhana: "O Śālivāhana, the king of all kings, King Vikrama, summons you; therefore come into his presence." Śālivāhana said: "O envoys, alone I will not see the king; endowed with a fourfold army I will meet Vikrama on the battlefield. Inform the king thus." Having heard his words, those envoys reported it to the king just as it was. Hearing that, King Vikrama went to the battlefield to fight. Śālivāhana, taking clay from the potter's house, fashioned elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers, brought them to life with a mantra, and having set out from the city with that very fourfold army, arrived at the battlefield. Then, at the time of the departure of both armies: