[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) › 8.1 # Vikramarkacaritra 8.1 Vikramārkacaritra 8.1 - **Language:** Sanskrit ### [8.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.8.1) iti ata itaḥ paraṃ yathā mama yācñāduḥkhaṃ na bhavettathānugrahaḥ kartavyaḥ' iti prārthayāṃcakre | tato rājā paryālocya tāṃ kāmadhenuṃ tasmai prādāt | so'pi rājānaṃ stutvā dhenuṃ gṛhītvā nijabhavanamayāsīt |" iti kathāṃ prapañcya pāñcālikā bhojabhūpamapṛcchat — ' kimevaṃvidhamaudāryaṃ tvayi vidyate ?' iti tacchrutvā bhojo mūko babhūva iti dvāviṃśamupākhyānam atha saptaviṃśamupākhyānam punarapyekadā samāgataṃ bhojabhūpālaṃ kācitsālabhañjikā nivārya vyājahāra—"rājañśrūyatām | vikramamahīpatiḥ kadācinmahīparyaṭanārthamujjayinyā nirgatya bahūndeśānsakutūhalaḥ parikramya nagaramekamagamat | tatratyā janāḥ svasvavarṇāśramadharmānuṣṭhānatatparāḥ sadācāravanto'tithipūjāparāyaṇāḥ paramadayālavaścāsan | vikramo'pi tatra 'pañca dināni sthāsyāmi' iti manvānastannagarasthamatimanoharaṃ devālayaṃ gatvā devaṃ praṇamya raṅgamaṇḍapamadhyāsta | tatrāntare rājakumāra ivātimanohararūpo dukūlavastradhārī nānālaṅkaraṇālaṃkṛtaḥ karpūrakuṅkumāgarumṛganābhisugandhāmilitacandanānuliptatanuḥ kaścitpuruṣo gaṇikābhiḥ sākaṃ tatrāgatya nānāvidhāḥ krīḍākathāḥ kathayankāṃścitkālamapanīya tābhiḥ sārdhaṃ yathāgataṃ jagāma | rājāpi taṃ dṛṣṭvā 'ko'yam ?' iti vicārayannāsīt | paredyuḥ sa eva puruṣa ekākī dīnavadano vastrābharaṇarahitaḥ kaupīnamātraśeṣaḥ samāgatya raṅgamaṇḍape papāta | tadā rājā taṃ dṛṣṭvā samupajātasantāpaḥ pṛcchati sma—'bhoḥ, pūrvedyurvastrābharaṇādinā samalaṃkṛtaśarīro rājakumāra iva veśyābhiḥ saha samāgataḥ | adya punarevaṃ dṛśyase | kimetat ?' iti | puruṣaḥ prāha—'bho mahāpuruṣa kimevaṃ pṛcchasi ? | ahaṃ pūrvedyustathaiva sthitaḥ | idānīṃ daivayogādevaṃ tiṣṭhāmi | karmaṇā niyamitaḥ ko vā jantuḥ kaṣṭaṃ nānubhavati ? | brahmādayo'pi hi kulālādivatkarmaṇā sṛṣṭyādau niyamitāḥ kaṣṭamanubhavanti |' iti | tato rājā taṃ vivekinaṃ manyamānastadvṛttāntaṃ samyagavagantumabhilaṣanpapraccha—'ko bhavān ?' iti | puruṣaḥ 'kitavo'ham' ityāha | rājā 'kiṃ dyūtakrīḍāṃ jānāsi ?' ityapṛcchat puruṣaḥ 'durodare'hameva nipuṇo nānyaḥ' ityāha | rājā 'tvamatīva vivekī dṛśyase | kathaṃ tava pāpamūle dyūte pravṛttirabhūt ?' iti punarapṛcchat | puruṣaḥ prāha—'prājño'pi puruṣaḥ karmaṇā preryamāṇaḥ kiṃ vā na kuryāt ?' iti rājā 'satyamevaitat | tathāpi vivekinā puruṣeṇa mahāpāpamūle dyūtādau buddhirna kāryā | karma hi dvividham — sukṛtaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ ceti | tatra sukṛtakarma sukhaṃ janayati | duṣkṛtaṃ tu duḥkhaṃ bahubhiḥ prakārairalpasadayati | na tu mahāpāpamūlamūteṣu dyūtādyakāryeṣvapi vivekavantaṃ puruṣaṃ prerayituṃ śaknoti| buddhimatā hi puruṣeṇa 'idaṃ kāryam' 'idamakāryam' iti vivicya kārye pravartanīyāmiti sanātanò dharmaḥ | akāryakaraṇena ca puruṣa evāparādhyati | na tu karma | ata itaḥ parametādṛśaṃ karma parityajya vihitaṃ karma samanuṣṭhāya puṇyāṃ gatimabhigantuṃ yatasva | anyathā tava pātityaṃ bhavet | tathā coktam — vihitasyānanuṣṭhānānninditasya ca sevanāt anigrahāccendriyāṇāṃ naraḥ patanamṛcchati - [Previous: 7.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.7.7) - [Next: 8.1-2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.8.1-2) - [Up: 8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.8) ## Linked texts (1) - [Southern recension](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.simhasana*southern.28.2) — Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.8.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.short_stories.vikramarkacaritra.8.1) · Pramāṇa