Simhasana Dvatrimsika Page 10

  wandering where they please are as foolish

  as the people who go to sleep after putting

  pots of milk before a horde of cats.

  “‘Furthermore, one should not neglect the kingdom thinking that all is under one’s control. Even if it is, one should strengthen one’s hold. Thus it is said,

  One should hold fast to farming and learning,

  the merchant and the wife,

  one’s wealth and one’s kingdom,

  as to the head of a venomous serpent.

  “‘This is what the rules of policy say,” the yogi concluded, “so be careful. Otherwise the kingdom may be lost, and so may the king himself. Your Majesty should return to Ujjayini, and not wander here.”

  ‘Though urged by the yogi, the king had an independent mind. “My lord,” he responded, “what Your Holiness says is doubtless in accordance with proper policy. But the mental makeup of men varies. Ends are attained in two ways: fate and human endeavour. Belief differs about which of the two is more important on this earth. Men hoping for results are of three kinds: those who believe in fate, those who depend on effort and those inclined towards a combination of both. The proud ones believe in effort alone, the wise ones in the power of fate, and those in the middle try to gain their ends by both means. Humans generally give up their effort at some point, but fate is unstoppable. Whatever we have to get we obtain by destiny’s power, like the Draviḍa king who got a kingdom effortlessly by the grace of the five forest spirits. This demonstrates what I say.”

  ‘On being asked by the yogi, the king then told him the story from the beginning.’

  The Draviḍa King

  There was a king of the Draviḍa country named Rāja Śekhara who was driven out of his kingdom by his enemies. He was going on foot with his senior queen to some other land when night fell and he stopped on the way under a tree near a city. At that time there were five forest spirits conversing with each other on the tree. ‘The master of this city will die tomorrow morning,’ they said, ‘who will get his kingdom then?’ One of them observed: ‘It is given to the person who is asleep below this tree.

  The king and his spouse were pleased to hear this glad tiding. In the morning the king went to the city mentioned by the spirits. He washed himself in the waters of a stream in a park on the outskirts, performed the sacred rites and paid homage to the rising sun. Then he sat down, wide-eyed, on a handsome stone seat near a statue of the monkey god Hanumān at the crossroads.

  Meanwhile the king of that place died childless, and the ministers let loose a female elephant carrying a garland to find another ruler. The animal saw Rāja Śekhara, placed the garland round his neck and, seating him on its back, carried him to the palace. All the ministers then assembled and anointed Raja Sekhara, establishing him as the monarch of the realm, where he reigned untroubled.

  Once all the rival kings joined hands and came to the city to extirpate Rāja Śekhara. At that time the king was playing at dice with his queen. ‘My lord,’ she said, ‘why is Your Majesty keeping quiet?’ The rival kings have invaded the city and it looks that in the morning they will seize us too. Do something!’

  ‘You simpleton!’ said the king, ‘what will come of doing anything? All work gets done by itself when fate is favourable, and it also destructs by itself when fate is not. Haven’t you experienced this? Nothing else but fate is the ultimate cause of both growth and decay. It is said,

  The undefended will live if protected by fate.

  The well-defended will perish

  if stricken by destiny. The orphan

  survives though abandoned in the forest;

  at home, he may not, even with precautions.

  ‘Do not be afraid, my dear, just roll the dice. For,

  The five spirits on the tree

  both give and take away.

  Roll the dice, fair lady,

  what is to be will be.’

  These words were heard by the five mighty spirits who said to themselves: ‘Those who gave this kingdom must also protect it in every way. There is no doubt that one who does not protect what he gives, nor defend that which comes to him for refuge, will fry in some terrible hell.’ They then created a great fear of conspiracy in the minds of the enemies who all became suspicious of each other and were destroyed, fighting among themselves. Thereafter King Rāja Śekhara continued to rule unopposed.

  ✣

  ‘This was the story that Vikramaditya narrated. Very pleased to hear it, the yogi blessed the king and presented him affectionately with a lingam of moonstone from Kashmir, which provided whatever wealth one desired. Vikramaditya too was satisfied and started back for his own city after taking leave of the yogi. On the way back he was observed by a brahmin who cried: “I wish you prosperity and good luck. I am a poor man in need of money. Give me some, O best of beings, so that I may eat something.” And to this brahmin who was begging for food, the king gave the moonstone lingam from Kashmir, also explaining its power.’

  After recounting this tale, the statuette said to the king: ‘Your Majesty, sit upon this throne if you have such magnanimity and other virtues.’ But the king listened and remained silent.

  15. A Friend Indeed

  When the lord Bhoja once again wished to ascend the throne, a statuette restrained him with sweet words: ‘Your Majesty may mount this lion seat only if you have such courage, fortitude and magnanimity as did Vikramaditya.’

  ‘When Vikrama was king, his chaplain was Vasumitra.1 He was exceedingly handsome, versed in all the arts, and very dear to the king. He was also a benefactor of others, much loved by all people, and extremely rich.

  ‘Once Vasumitra proceeded abroad to visit various places of pilgrimage. He went to Vārānasī and paid homage to Viśveśvara, the lord of the world, and then to Prayāga where he had the ritual bath during the month of Māgha.2 After performing the ceremony for the ancestors at Gayā, he turned homewards and halted at a city on the way.

  ‘This city was ruled by a celestial nymph who was under a curse and had no husband. A wedding pavilion stood there at a great temple to the deities Lakshmi-Nārāyaṇa. By the gate of the temple was an enormous iron cauldron of boiling oil. The men appointed there would tell the people coming from outside: “If some hero will throw himself into this boiling oil, the nymph Manmatha Sanjivini will place the nuptial garland round his neck and take him for her husband.”

  ‘Vasumitra was enchanted by the beauty of the nymph. Returning home, he met all his kinsmen who were glad to see that he had come back safely. In the morning he went to the royal palace and met the king, presenting him with water from the Ganga and sacred mementos of Viśveśvara, before taking a seat.’

  “‘Well, Vasumitra,” the king asked, “did your pilgrimage go well?” “By your favour, master,” he replied, “I have returned safely after performing the pilgrimage.” “And what new things did you see in those other lands?” the king asked further. Vasumitra then told him about the celestial nymph and the pot of boiling oil.

  ‘The king’s mind was filled with curiosity. He went to the city with Vasumitra, saw the situation there and realized that his friend had fallen in love with the nymph. He then leapt into the cauldron. His body turned into a lump of flesh as the people there raised a mighty hue and cry. Hearing it, the nymph Manmanha Sanjivini arrived with nectar which she sprinkled on the fleshy mass, reviving the king with even greater beauty and radiance than he had before.’

  “‘O best of heroes,” said the nymph, “this vast kingdom is yours. All that I have belongs to you. I am your slave. Use me as you will.” The king was pleased with her words. As the siren was about to put the garland round his neck, he said: “O Manmatha Sanjivini, if you have become mine, then listen to me.” “Speak master,” she replied, “and I will obey you in every way.” “If you will do what I say,” the king told her, “then marry this chaplain of mine.”

  “‘Blessed are you, king of kings,” said the nymph,

  “All this triple w
orld is subject

  to that steadfast man, whose heart

  cannot be pierced by the arrows

  of beauty’s sidelong glances, nor

  burnt by the fire of anger, nor

  pulled out by the noose of greed.

  “‘So be it,” she said, and placed the nuptial garland round the chaplain’s neck. The king then had them married and appointed Vasumitra as the ruler of that kingdom, before returning to his own capital.

  ‘O King, if any man had such courage, prowess and magnanimity, he would be competent to mount this throne.’

  16. A Springtime Gift

  Once more, when the king came forward to mount the throne, a statuette intervened, saying: ‘Illustrious men like Your Majesty should hear about this deed of King Vikramaditya which dispels all evil.

  ‘Once King Vikramaditya set out to conquer all the quarters of the earth. He traversed the east, the south, the west, the north and all the intermediate directions, bringing the local kings under his sway. Taking the elephants, horses and other valuables they proffered in tribute, he reestablished them in their respective domains, and then turned back to his own capital.

  ‘At the time of the king’s entry into the city, the astrologers told him: “Sire, there is no auspicious moment for entering the capital for the next four days.” On hearing this he halted outside and, having tents erected in a park, began to spend the four days there itself.

  ‘Spring had meanwhile arrived. It is the king of the seasons, and with it:

  The bakula trees suddenly burst

  into blossom, as if, people say,

  having had mouthfuls of wine sprayed1

  on them by celestial nymphs with lovely eyes.

  And bees swarm around them from all sides.

  ‘And,

  The bees gather with a gentle hum,

  attracted by the mango blossom’s

  mild but heady nectar;

  and a soft breeze wafts for ever,

  redolent with the perfume of lovely women.

  ‘Seeing this revelry of spring, the minister Sumantra came to the king and said: “Sire, spring, the king of the seasons, has arrived. The vernal rites should now be performed to propitiate all the seasons, dispel all misfortune, and ensure everyone’s prosperity.” “Then I will gladly perform them tomorrow,” the king replied, “please make all the arrangements.”

  ‘The excellent minister arranged everything as ordered by the king. He had a pavilion decorated with cloth, ornamental arches and flowers. It shone with jewelled pillars and a rich canopy of bright fabrics, and at its centre he installed a great gem-studded throne. The following morning he told his august master: “Sire, everything is ready. Please proceed as you think proper.”

  ‘The pure-souled and meritorious king then went into the pavilion and prayed to the deities Umā and Maheśvara, Laksmi and Nārāyaṇa, as well as Madana, the god of love, and his consort Rati, and Vasanta, the divine embodiment of spring. He worshipped them with camphor, sandalwood, musk, orpiment, aloes wood and saffron; and with barley grains and the flowers of amaranth, jasmine, asoka and frangipani. He also honoured the brahmins in proportion to their intellect, and had the minstrels sing the Vasanta Rāga—the musical mode of spring.

  ‘After listening to the music, the king proceeded with his retinue directly to the park. Enjoying himself with all manners of sports, at noon he went into a plantain grove which had been marked out with flags. There, seated upon a golden throne inside a pavilion bright with decorations, he gave attention to the subtleties of many arts, demonstrated in due order with great eagerness by thirty-six princes, each occupying his allotted place. He also had the pleasure of talking to learned scholars for a while.

  ‘Thereafter, at the king’s command, a preacher made a forthright speech to preclude any excess in preoccupation with the transient pleasures of this world. “O King,” he said,

  “What is the use of kingdom, wealth

  and stores of grain; of personal ornamentation,

  erudition, great strength and clever speech;

  of a most excellent birth, a pure family

  and an abundance of bright merits:

  if the soul is not freed from the terrible

  prison house of this worldly existence?”

  “‘Speak further, priest,” said the king. And he continued:

  “Difficult is the wordly path.

  Ailments are hard to cure,

  and death can come at any time.

  It is difficult to decide

  on proper action, and nothing to support

  those who fall on the way. Anyone

  who seeks the bliss of salvation

  must reflect on this, day and night,

  with a clear mind, and apply his thoughts

  decisively to dharma.”

  “‘Speak some more,” said the king. The preacher continued:

  “Even though they may endure for long,

  sensual pleasures must inevitably fade away.

  What difference does it make if people

  will not give them up willingly?

  If they cease on their own it grieves the heart

  immeasurably; but if they are renounced,

  it gives one the infinite happiness of peace.”

  ‘The king marvelled on hearing these words. “What this priest says is true indeed,” he thought, “for,

  The very thoughts which could release

  man from enjoying worldly pleasures,

  bind him to them even more.

  He knows that life is as transient

  as a wave in the water, and is yet

  attached to pleasure; that prosperity

  can vanish like a dream, but still

  wants to enjoy it for ever;

  that youth is no more than a cloud, but still

  continues to embrace women with passion.”

  ‘At this time an extremely aged man came into the royal assembly, leaning on a staff, and holding the hand of a girl who accompanied him. The king greeted this venerable brahmin and seated him on a chair. “From where have you come, brahmin,” he asked kindly, “and on what business? Tell me.” Thus addressed, the old man told the monarch: “O King, I have a petition.” “Submit it then,” said the king.

  ‘The brahmin said: “I live in the town of Nandivardhana. Eight sons were born to me, but no daughter. With my wife I then made a vow before the goddess Jagadambikā, the mother of the world: ‘O mother, if I have a girl child I will name her after you. Moreover, I will give her in marriage to a groom learned in the Vedas, together with her weight in gold.’ Now here she is, and the time has arrived for her wedding. The planet Jupiter stands in the eleventh house, and this will not happen again in the coming year. I have come to you, knowing that there is no one else in the world apart from Vikrama who will give her weight in gold.”

  “‘You did well, brahmin,” said the king. “Take as much as you need for your work.” He then called his treasurer and told him: “O Dravya Datta, give this brahmin his daughter’s weight in gold. In addition, give him eight millions in gold for her eightfold ceremony.”

  ‘Dravya Datta gave the ordered amount of gold to the brahmin, who returned home with his daughter, entirely contented. The king too entered his capital at an auspicious time.

  ‘O King, if you are also able to give as much to a supplicant who comes with a petition, then occupy this throne.’

  17. Helping a Rival

  Curious to hear another statuette speak, the king came forward, pretending to mount the throne. The statuette saw him and understood the purpose for which he had come. ‘Listen, O King,’ she said with a smile which lit up her face, ‘to a tale of King Vikramaditya and his magnanimity, well known for the daring with which he did good to others.’

  ‘No one had magnanimity and other virtues like Vikrama. Because of them his fame had spread over the three worlds. All supplicants praised only this king, for their blessings are indeed meant for donors rather than heroes.
It is said,

  The blessing of those who seek wealth

  are indeed meant to please donors;

  it is the thunder of the battle drum

  which brings joy to heroes.

  ‘Moreover, heroism, learning, religious work and other such virtues can occur everywhere, but not the virtue of renunciation. It is said,

  All animals can fight; the parrot,

  and the myna bird can talk;

  but the real hero and scholar

  is one who gives a gift.

  ‘And further,

  Some have a heroic nature and some

  have compassion of heroic proportions;

  but they are not worth one-sixteenth

  of a person whose charity is heroic.

  To give away what is yours

  is the one praiseworthy virtue.

  With it, there is no need

  for a mass of other virtues.

  If animals, stones and trees

  are honoured, it is because

  of their renunciation.

  The virtue of renunciation I consider

  greater than a hundred other virtues.

  If the person who has it is also adorned

  with learning, what more can I say?

  If he is heroic too, all homage to him.

  And when all three are there without

  arrogance, it is a marvel of marvels!

  ‘All these four virtues obtained in Vikramaditya. Once a bard recited a poem in his praise before another king. On hearing it that king became jealous. It is said:

  One without merit cannot understand

  meritorious men; and one with merit

  is jealous of them. Rare is the honest

  person who both has merit

  and is happy to see it in others.’

  “‘O bard,” that monarch asked, “why is it that all bards praise Vikramaditya alone? Is not there any other king?” “Your Majesty,” the bard replied, “there is no king like him in the three worlds for giving and doing good to others, for daring and heroism. He has no attachment even to his own person in doing good to others.”