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Simhasanadvatrimshika 30

English (machine translation) 30

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English

30.p1

Once again, as the king was about to sit upon the throne, another statuette said: "O King, only one who possesses generosity and other virtues like Vikrama may sit upon this throne." The king said: "O statuette, tell the story of his generosity." She said: "Listen, O King. Once, King Vikrama was seated upon the throne, attended by all his vassal princes. At that time, a juggler arrived, pronounced the blessing, 'May you have the lifespan of Brahmā,' and said: 'O Lord, you are skilled in all arts; many jugglers have come before you and displayed feats of dexterity; therefore, today you should graciously watch one feat of mine.' The king said: 'We have no leisure now; it is time for bathing and dining; we shall see it in the morning.' Then, in the morning, the conjurer—having a massive body, his face radiant with a great beard, holding a sword in his hand, and accompanied by a most charming woman—entered the royal assembly and bowed to the king. Then the officers present, seeing that massive man, asked in astonishment: 'O hero, who are you, and whence have you come?' He said: 'I am a servant of Mahendra; having once been cursed by my master, I dwell fallen on the earth. This is my wife. Today a great battle between the gods and the demons has commenced; therefore, I am going there. This King Vikramāditya treats other men's wives as his own sisters; having deposited my wife in his care, I shall go to fight.' Hearing this, the king too was filled with great astonishment. He then entrusted his wife to the king, took his leave, and as soon as he flew up into the sky with his sword, a terrible, roaring sound arose in the heavens, crying out: 'Hey, hey! Kill! Kill! Slay! Slay!' Then all the people seated in the assembly looked up in curiosity. A moment later, one of his arms, sword in hand and smeared with blood, fell from the sky into the midst of the royal assembly. Seeing it, everyone said: 'Alas! This great hero has been slain in battle by adversaries, and one of his arms with a sword has fallen.' While the people seated in the assembly were saying this, his head fell, and then his headless trunk fell down. Seeing it, his wife said: 'O Lord, having fought on the battlefield, my husband has been slain by enemies.

30.p2

Here have fallen his head, his arm with the sword, and his trunk as well. Therefore, before my beloved is chosen by celestial maidens, I shall go to his side. Let fire be given to me.' Hearing her words, the king said: 'O daughter, why will you enter the fire? I will protect you like my own daughter. Preserve your body.' She said: 'O Lord, what are you saying? He for whose sake this body existed, my master, has been struck down on the battlefield by rivals. Now for whose sake should I preserve this body? Moreover, even you should not say this, for it is known even to inanimate things that women follow the path of their husbands. For thus it is said:

30.1

Moonlight departs along with the moon; lightning vanishes along with the cloud; / that women follow the path of their husbands is indeed acknowledged even by inanimate things. || 1

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And likewise the sacred tradition says:

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The woman who ascends the fire when her husband has died, / behaving like Arundhatī, is honoured in the heavenly world. || 2

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And until a wife burns herself in the fire when her husband has died, / that woman is by no means freed from female rebirth. || 3

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Her maternal family, her paternal family, and the one into which she was given— / three lineages does she purify who follows her husband. || 4

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And likewise:

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As many as thirty-five million hairs are on a human being, / for that much time shall she reside in heaven who follows her husband. || 5

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Just as a snake-catcher drags a snake by force out of its hole, / so a woman, having drawn up her husband, rejoices with him alone. || 6

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Be he wicked or virtuous, or even the committer of all sins, / a wife steadfast in righteousness delivers her husband. || 7

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Moreover: O King, a woman bereft of her husband has no purpose even in living. And it is said: What fruit is there in the life of a wretched woman bereft of her husband?

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Like a banyan tree in a cremation ground, her body is completely useless. || 8

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A father gives within measure, a brother within measure, a son within measure; / but who would not honour a husband, the giver of what is measureless? || 9

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Furthermore:

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Though a woman have kinsmen, many sons, and be endowed with virtues, / yet bereft of her husband, that poor woman is to be pitied. || 10

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And likewise:

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With perfumes, garlands, incenses, and various ornaments, / with garments and with beds—what shall a widow do? || 11

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Without strings a lute is not played; without wheels a chariot does not roll; / without a husband, a woman attains no happiness, even with a hundred kinsmen. || 12

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Be he poor, addicted to vice, aged, diseased, deformed, / fallen, or destitute, a husband is the supreme refuge of women. || 13

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There is no kinsman equal to a husband; there is no friend equal to a husband; / there is no lord equal to a husband; there is no refuge equal to a husband. || 14

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There is no sorrow equal to widowhood known for women; / blessed is she among women who dies before her husband. || 15

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Having spoken thus, she fell at the king’s feet to obtain fire [for the pyre]. The king, having heard her words, his heart moistened with the sentiment of compassion, prepared a pyre with sandalwood and other materials and granted her permission. She too, having received permission from the king, entered the fire along with her husband’s body. Then the sun set. In the morning, having performed his twilight rites and other duties, the king sat upon his throne and was being attended upon by all his feudatories, princes, and others, when that very same leader, sword in hand as before, tall of stature and with a radiant body, approached, placed around the king’s neck a garland woven of wish-granting tree flowers and packed densely with bees greedy for its fragrance, conveyed Indra’s command to him, and proceeded to narrate the tale of various battles. Then, seeing that he had returned, the entire assembly was filled with wonder; the king too was astonished. Again he spoke: “O King, from this place I went to heaven. There, a great battle took place between Mahendra and the Daityas. At that time, many demons were struck down, and some fled. At the end of the battle, the lord of the gods said to me with favour: ‘O leader, you are seen after a long time. Where have you stayed for so long a period?’ Then I said:

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‘Due to the master’s curse, I have dwelt on earth for these many days. Hearing today that the master had encountered a battle with the Daityas, I came to give assistance.’ Then Mahendra, with a very pleased mind, said: ‘O leader, from this day forth you need not go back to earth; the end of your curse has come. I am pleased with you; take this gold bracelet studded with the nine gems.’ Saying this, he personally released the bracelet from his own wrist and placed it upon my hand. Then I said: ‘O master, at the time of my coming here, I deposited my wife with Vikramārka. Having fetched her, I shall return at once.’ Having said this to Purandara, I have come. You are like a brother to other men's wives; my wife must be given back; with her I will go again to the heavenly world.” The king, hearing his words, was struck with wonder and became silent. Again he said: “O King, why do you sit in silence?” Those standing near the king said: “Your wife entered the fire.” He said: “For what reason?” Then they, bereft of an answer, fell silent. Then he said: “O King, crest-jewel of kings, brother to other men's wives, wish-fulfilling tree to all who ask, King Vikrama, may you live as long as Brahmā! I am a magician; I have displayed this sleight of magical science.” The king too was filled with wonder. At this moment the treasurer approached and said: “O King, tribute has been sent by the Pāṇḍya king to the master.” The king said: “What has been sent?” He said: “Master, listen with an attentive mind.

30.16

Eight crores of gold, ninety-three balances of pearls,
fifty lead elephants with bees eager for the fragrance of their rut,
three hundred horses, and a hundred courtesans clever in deceit,
all that, O glorious King Vikrama, has been sent to you by the Pāṇḍya king. || 16

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Then the king said: “O treasurer, let all this be given to the magician.” Then he gave all of it [to him]. Having told this story, the statuette said to King Bhoja: “O King, if such generosity exists in you, then sit upon this throne.” The king remained silent. Thus ends the thirtieth tale.

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