[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) › 3.1 # Vikramarkacaritra 3.1 Vikramārkacaritra 3.1 - **Language:** Sanskrit ### [3.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.3.1) iti atha devadattamavalokya 'sakhe kiṃcidapi bhayaṃ cetasi mā kārṣīḥ | mama putro balīyasā purākṛtena karmaṇā hataḥ | kiṃ nāma tvayā kṛtam | anyacca, maraṇaśaraṇye patitaṃ māṃ samaramanaiṣīḥ kila | ataḥ pratyupakārasahasrairapi na tavakamṛṇamapanetuṃ prabhavāmi' iti samāśvāsya taṃ vastrābharaṇādinā sambhāvya visasarja | devadattastu paramānandabharitastaṃ kumāraṃ svagṛhādānīya rājñe dadau tataḥ savismayena rājñābhāṇi - 'devadatta kimevaṃ kṛtam ?' iti | devadattaḥ prāha - "bho rājan śrūyatām bhavatā sabhāmadhye bahuvāraṃ 'kathaṃ devadattakṛtādupakārāduttīrṇo bhaviṣyāmi' iti bhaṇitam | atastava cittaparīkṣārtha mayaivaṃ kṛtam | kṣantavyo'yamaparādhaḥ" iti | tato rājā paraṃ santuṣya devadattaṃ bhūyo'pi bahudhā saṃmānya preṣayāmāsa | so'pi rājñā saṃmānitaḥ paraṃ vismayamāpanno rājñaḥ kṛtajñatāmaudāryādikaṃ ca praśaṃsansvagṛhamayāsīt" | iti kathāṃ kathayitvā sālabhañjikā bhojamabravīt - 'rājan kiṃ tvayyevaṃvidhā guṇā vidyante ?' iti | tacchrutvā rājā tūṣṇīṃ nirjagāma iti caturthamupākhyānam atha pañcamamupākhyānam punarapi bhoje samāgatya siṃhāsanasopāne padaṃ vinyasyati pañcamī sālabhañjikā nivārya giramevaṃ vyājahāra - "vikramādanyaḥ ko'pi nedamāroḍhumarhati | śrūyatāṃ bravīmi tasyaudāryam | vikrame mahīṃ pālayati satyekadā kaścidratnavaṇigsamāgatyānarghamekaṃ ratnaṃ rājahaste samarpitavān | rājā dedīpyamānaṃ tadādāya parīkṣakānākārya 'kīdṛśametadratnam ? kiyanmūlyamarhati ? niścitya kathayata' ityavādīt | tataḥ parīkṣakāstadratnaṃ sādhu nirūpya 'rājannamūlyametadratnam | asya mūlyaṃ nirṇetuṃ na ko'pyatra prabhavati' ityūcuḥ | tadākarṇya rājā tasmai bhūri dravyaṃ dattvā 'bhoḥ sārthavāha kimīdṛśamanyadasti ?' ityapṛcchat | vaṇik 'deva nātra santi | grāme tu daśa vidyante | yadyapekṣā devasya tarhi preṣayiṣyāmi' ityuktaca | anantaraṃ rājā teṣāmekaikasya catuḥsahasraṃ suvarṇāni mūlyaṃ nirṇīya tāvaddhanaṃ dattvā sahaiva tena caturamekaṃ bhṛtyaṃ prāhiṇot | 'aṣṭabhirdivasairatrāgantavyam' iti cādideśa | so'pi 'yadājñāpayati devaḥ' iti tadājñāṃ śirasi kṛtvā jhaḍiti nirjagāma | ratnāni gṛhītvā samāgacchati ca tasminmadhyemārgaṃ mahatī vṛṣṭiḥ samabhavat | tayā cobhayakūlaṃkaṣā nadyekā pravahati sma | sa taduttaraṃ tīraṃ gantumaśaknuvannāvikamāhūyāvadat - 'nāvika ratnahāraṃ māmimāṃ nadīmuttāraya' iti | nāvikaḥ prāha - 'aye pathika, eṣā nadī belāmatikramya pravahati | kathamuttāryatām kiṃ ca banānadyuttaraṇaṃ buddhimatā varjanīyam | tathā cāhuḥ - mahānadīprataraṇaṃ mahāpuruṣanigraham mahājanavirodhaṃ ca dūrataḥ parivarjayet - [Previous: 2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.2.5) - [Next: 3.1-2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.3.1-2) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.3) ## Linked texts (2) - [Southern recension](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana*southern.5.1) — Sanskrit - [Kathākusumamañjarī](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.kathakusumamanjari.2.35) — Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.3.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.3.1) · Pramāṇa