[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Epic, Poetry, Drama & Narrative](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit) › [Story collections and fables](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories) › [Vikramarkacaritra](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra) › 2.4-3 # Vikramarkacaritra 2.4-3 Vikramārkacaritra 2.4-3 - **Language:** Sanskrit ### [2.4-3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.2.4-3) iti brāhmaṇastu rājño vacanaṃ śrutvā svamanasi vicārayati sma- 'kimayaṃ rājā māmevaṃ vadati | kiṃ nāmāhamupākaravam | kimetatsatyamūta mithyā ? | asya tattvaṃ bodheyam' iti | tataḥ ekasmindivase rājakumāramapahṛtya svamandire saṅgopya tasya kaṇṭhabhūṣaṇamekaṃ svabhṛtyahaste dattvā vipaṇyāṃ vikretuṃ praiṣayat asminnavasare rājakumāraḥ kenāpyapahṛto māritaśceti rājamandire mahānkolāhalaḥ samabhavat | rājāpi putramārgaṃṇāya sarvatrādhikāriṇaḥ prāhiṇot | te ca sarvataḥ paribhramanto vipaṇimadhye daivādābharaṇahastaṃ devadattabhṛtyamapaśyan tatastadābharaṇaṃ rājakumārasyeti jñātvā taṃ baddhvā rājasamīpaṃ ninyuḥ | rājāpi taṃ dṛṣṭvovāca — 're bhṛtya kathametadābharaṇaṃ tava haste samāgatam ?' iti bhṛtyaḥ prāha — 'ahaṃ devadattasya bhṛtyaḥ | vipaṇimadhye etadābharaṇaṃ vikrīyā dhanamānayeti preṣito'smi' iti | tato rājā devadattamāhūya papraccha — 'etadābharaṇaṃ kasmai dadau' iti | devadattaḥ pratyabhāṣata — 'ahameva dhanalolupastava kumāraṃ hatvā bhūṣaṇāni gṛhītvā teṣāmidamekamābharaṇaṃ vikretumadām | idānīṃ yattubhyaṃ rocate tatkuru | mama prāktanakarmavaśādevaṃ buddhirutpannā' iti | tadākarṇya rājā kimapi pratikartuṃ na śaśāka | tadā sabhyaḥ kaścidāha — 'aho sarvadharmaśāstravettāyaṃ kathamaSheetdṛśe karmaṇi buddhimakarot' iti | aparaḥ kaściduvāca — 'svakarmaṇā preritasyaivaṃ buddhirajāyata | kimatra citram ?' iti itare kecana rājānamabruvan — 'deva yadayaṃ bālaghātī suvarṇasteyī ca tataḥ khādireṇa śūlena hantavyaḥ' iti | tadā mantriṇaḥ prahuḥ — ' imaṃ tilaśaḥ khaṇḍayitvaitanmāṃsena gṛdhrebhyo balirdātavyā' iti | teṣāṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā rājā jagāda — 'bhoḥ sakhāyaḥ, ayaṃ mamāśritaḥ puramārgapradarśanādupakārī ca ato'sminguṇadoṣacintā na kartavyā | tathā ca vadanti — candraḥ kṣayī prakṛtivakratanuḥ kalaṅkī doṣākaraḥ sphurati mitravipattikāle mūrdhnā tathāpi satataṃ dhriyate hareṇa naivāśriteṣu mahatāṃ guṇadoṣacintā - [Previous: 2.3-4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.2.3-4) - [Next: 2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.2.5) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.2) ## Linked texts (1) - [Southern recension](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana*southern.4.9) — Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.2.4-3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.2.4-3) · Pramāṇa