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Simhasanadvatrimshika 4

English (machine translation) 4

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English

4.p1

Again, as the king was about to sit upon the throne, another statuette said: “Only he who possesses the generosity of Vikrama should occupy this throne.” The king said: “Tell the story of his generosity.” The statuette said: “O King, listen! While Vikramāditya was ruling, there was a certain brahmin in that city who was skilled in all sciences and adorned with all virtues, yet was childless. One day his wife said to him: ‘O lord of my life, those learned in sacred tradition say that a householder without a son has no path to heaven. And so:

4.1

For a childless man there is no salvation, and heaven is not for him at all;
therefore, only after looking upon the face of a son should one become an ascetic. || 1

4.2

The moon is the lamp of the night; the sun is the lamp at dawn;
righteousness is the lamp of the three worlds; a good son is the lamp of the family. || 2

4.p2

And moreover:

4.3

An elephant shines by rut, water by lotuses, the night by the full moon,
a woman by character, a horse by speed, a palace by perpetual festivities;
speech shines by grammar, rivers by pairs of geese, an assembly by scholars,
a family by a virtuous son, the earth by a king, and the three worlds by the sun.’ || 3

4.p3

The brahmin said: ‘O beloved, you have spoken truly. But wealth can be attained through effort, learning is obtained through service to a teacher, whereas fame and offspring do not come about without worship of Parameśvara. And it is said:

4.4

If there is a wish for uninterrupted happiness in one's heart,
one should, having formed a firm devotion, constantly worship the consort of Bhavānī.’ || 4

4.p4

His wife said: ‘O master, no one knows better than you; you are all-knowing. Therefore, some vow or the like should be performed to win the grace of Parameśvara.’ He said: ‘O beloved, you have spoken properly; I too accept your counsel. For:

4.5

Sensible advice should be accepted even from a child;
even a scholar should always receive it; bad advice is not [to be taken] even from an elder.’ || 5

4.p5

Having said this, the brahmin performed the Rudra-rite to propitiate Parameśvara. Then one night, Parameśvara, wearing a crown of matted hair, mounted on a bull, with his beloved seated on his left thigh, spoke to that brahmin in a dream: ‘O brahmin, observe the pradoṣa vow; by observing that vow, you will have a son.’ In the morning, the brahmin related the account of the dream before the elders. They said: ‘O brahmin, this dream is true. And it is said in the treatise on dreams:

4.6

Whatever word a god, a twice-born, a teacher, cows, ancestors, or ascetics
speak in a dream, one should indicate to be exactly so.’ || 6

4.p6

‘When this vow is performed, you will have a son.’ Hearing their words, the brahmin observed the pradoṣa vow on a Saturday, the thirteenth lunar day of the bright fortnight of Mārgaśīrṣa, in accordance with the rites prescribed in the ritual manuals. Through the performance of that vow, Parameśvara was pleased and granted him a son. Thereafter, the brahmin performed the birth rites for his son, named him Devadatta on the twelfth day, and performed the rites ending with the solemn feeding of solid food and the sacred thread investiture. Then he instructed the initiated boy in the Vedas, learned treatises, and all the arts. Then, when he reached his sixteenth year, he performed the gift of a cow ceremony, had him married, arranged a livelihood for him, and, wishing himself to go on a pilgrimage to sacred places, gave advice to his son: ‘O son, listen! I am declaring advice that brings happiness both in this world and the next.’ The son said: ‘Please explain it.’ ‘O son: even if you fall into extreme distress, do not abandon the practice of one's own duty; do not quarrel with others; show compassion to all beings; maintain devotion to Parameśvara; do not gaze upon other men's wives; do not make an enemy of the powerful; conform to the wishes of those who know your secrets; speak appropriately to the occasion; spend in proportion to your wealth; serve good people; avoid wicked people; do not tell secrets to women.’ Having thus instructed his son in worldly wisdom in various ways, he set out for Vārāṇasī.

4.p7

Devadatta too, observing his father's instruction, remained in that very city. One day, having entered the great forest to gather sacrificial firewood for the homa, as he was cutting firewood, King Vikramāditya went into the forest on a hunt. Pursuing a wild boar, he entered the great forest, and not knowing the way to the city, saw Devadatta and asked for the road to the city. Asked by him, Devadatta went ahead in person and guided the king to the city. Then the king honoured Devadatta in many ways and appointed him to a certain office. After that, a long time passed. One day the king said: "How can I be discharged from the service rendered by Devadatta? For he brought me out of the midst of the great forest to the city." At that moment, someone said: "Ah, he is a good man; he does not forget a service rendered." And so it is said:

4.7

Remembering the small amount of water drunk in their earliest age,
carrying a burden on their heads, coconut palms give men
water like ambrosia until the end of their lives;
for good people never forget a service rendered. || 7

4.p8

Hearing this speech of the king, the brahmin thought in his own mind: "Ah, the king speaks thus; is this true or false? Proof of this should be seen." Having spoken thus, he hid the prince in his own house without anyone knowing, placed the boy's ornament in the hand of a servant, and sent him into the middle of the city to sell it. At that moment, a great hue and cry arose in the royal palace: "The prince has been killed by some thief!" The king too sent officers everywhere to search for his son. Then, while looking through the market, they saw Devadatta's servant with the ornament in hand. Recognizing the ornament to belong to the prince, they bound him and brought him before the king, and he was asked: "Hey, villain, how did this ornament come into your hand?" He said: "It was given into my hand by the brahmin Devadatta. I am his servant; he sent me, saying: 'Sell this ornament in the market and bring the money.'" Then the king summoned Devadatta as well and said: "O Devadatta, by whom was this ornament given to you?" Devadatta said:

4.p9

"It was given by no one. Greedy for wealth, I myself killed your prince, took his ornaments, and placed this one ornament from among them into his hand to sell. Now do whatever you please. Such a thought arose in me by the force of my karma." Having said this, he looked down. Hearing those words, the king remained silent. Then some in the assembly said: "Ah, how could this man, who knows all the legal treatises and knows righteousness, set his mind on such a sinful deed?" Another said: "What is strange here? Such a thought arose because he was impelled by his own past actions. And it is said: What does a wise man do when impelled by his own past actions?

4.8

For generally the intellect of men conforms to their karma. || 8

4.p10

Thereupon the members of the assembly said: "O King, he is a murderer of a child and also a stealer of gold; therefore, he must be executed on a stake of khadira wood." Other ministers said: "Cutting him into a hundred pieces, an offering of his flesh should be given to the vultures." Hearing their words, the king said: "O members of the assembly, he is my dependant, and a benefactor because he showed the way to the city; therefore, a good man must not calculate the merits and faults of dependants. And so it is said:

4.9

The moon wanes, is bent by nature, bears a spot,
and is a mine of flaws, shining at the destruction of his friend [the sun];
yet he is ever held upon his head by Hara;
among the great there is no reckoning of merits and faults in their dependants. || 9

4.p11

And moreover: What virtue is there in the goodness of him who is good to benefactors?

4.10

He who is good to wrongdoers is called good by the righteous. || 10

4.p12

Having spoken thus, he said to Devadatta: "O Devadatta, do not have any fear in your mind. My son was slain by powerful past karma; what have you done? Therefore, no one is able to transgress past karma. For:

4.11

His mother was Lakṣmī, his father Viṣṇu, and he himself the God of Love,
yet he was burned by Śambhu; by whom is past karma transgressed? || 11

4.p13

And moreover: You, who brought me when fallen into the great forest to the city, are a great benefactor, and even with a thousand return services I would not be free from debt to you." Having comforted him thus, he honoured Devadatta with clothes, ornaments, and the like, and dismissed him. Devadatta then brought that prince and gave him to the king. Then the king, astonished, said: "O Devadatta, why was this done?" He said: "O King, listen. You said repeatedly in the midst of the assembly: 'How can I be discharged from the service rendered by Devadatta?' So, in order to test your heart, this was done by me; the proof in you has been seen." The king said: "He who forgets a service rendered is indeed the lowest of men." Devadatta said: "O King, you are a benefactor of the entire world even without cause; therefore you alone are a good man in this world. And so it is said:

4.12

They are good men, they are blessed, they are accomplished, and they are ever the doers of good,
who indeed live solely to bring about the welfare of others, even without a cause. || 12

4.p14

Having told this story, the statuette said to the king: "If such benevolence towards others, generosity, and courage exist in you, then sit upon this throne." Then King Bhoja was silent. Thus ends the fourth story.

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