Simhasana Dvatrimsika Page 6

  by bees is taken away by others.

  Enjoy your money and give it away.

  Honour the honourable and revere

  the good. Wealth is as transient

  as a lamp’s flame flickering in a gusty wind.”

  ‘Thinking thus, the king organized a religious festival for charity. In it honours were accorded to all those deemed worthy on account of their knowledge, deeds, asceticism or artistic skills. Gifts were given to the poor, the weak and the helpless, in keeping with their requests. The eighteen classes of subjects were exempted from tax. Worship with all the ritual of invocations, vows and sacrifices was offered to the divinities of the celestial and the nether regions, of land and water, of cities and villages; and to the guardian deities of the fields, the directions and the quarters. The king’s own emissaries were sent everywhere to invoke the attendance of all the gods on this occasion.

  ‘A certain brahmin was sent by the king to invite the Ocean. He went to the seashore and, having made the sixteen ritual offerings with flowers, fragrances and other things, cried out: “O Ocean, King Vikramaditya will be performing a sacrifice. At his direction I have come here to invite you to attend it.” With these words he placed a handful of flowers in the water and remained standing there for a while.

  ‘But there was no response to his words. The brahmin was disgusted, “Who else would have been mad or unlucky enough to get sent on an errand such as this?” he said to himself, “Whom have I come here to invite, and who will give me an answer? Whoever spoke to the waters and received a reply?

  Where there are no greetings,

  no kind words, no talk even

  of faults and merits:

  one would be a fool

  ever to go to such a place,

  even if it were heaven.

  “‘Well, I was commanded by the king and I have done my duty,” the brahmin said aloud as he turned back, dejected. But, as he was returning to his village, someone with a shining visage and a priestly garb came up to him and said: “You, O brahmin, were sent by Vikrama to invite us. We acknowledge this honour. Gifts and honours at the appropriate time are indeed the signs of a friend. It is said:

  These six are the signs of friendship:

  to give and to receive gifts;

  to tell and to ask secrets;

  and to entertain and be entertained.

  “‘Furthermore, one should not think that friendship is destroyed by distance and flourishes only in propinquity. What upholds it is affection. It is said,

  One who abides in your heart

  is close to you, even though he

  be far away. But one who is distant

  from your mind is far indeed

  even though he stand nearby.

  And further:

  The cloud in the sky and the peacock

  on the hill; the sun in the heavens

  and the lotus in the pool;

  the moon at double that distance

  and the lily on earth:

  one’s friend is never far from one.

  “‘Therefore I will certainly come. But I too have an errand for you. I wish to present to the king these four priceless jewels which you should give to our dear Vikrama. Their powers are as follows: the first produces gold, day and night; from the second comes an army with its four divisions to vanquish all enemies; the third provides food cooked in different flavours; and the fourth gives as much precious clothing and jewellery as one may desire. Take these jewels given by the Ocean with all affection, and hand them over to the king.”

  ‘The brahmin took the jewels and returned to Ujjayini. Much time had passed meanwhile. The sacrificial ceremony was over, the king had completed the final ablutions and sated the people with his bounty. The brahmin met him, submitted the jewels, and explained the powers of each one. “Your Reverence,” said the king, “you have come at a time when the distribution of the sacrificial fees is already over. I have paid their fees to all the brahmins. You may now take one of these four jewels. Choose whichever one you like.”

  “‘Your Majesty,” replied the brahmin, “I will go home and ask my wife, son and daughter-in-law. I would like to take the jewel which pleases them all.” The king agreed.

  ‘The brahmin then went home and explained the situation to his family. “The most desirable of these is the jewel which produces an army,” said his son, “with that we can easily gain a kingdom.” “You prefer kingship,” the father retorted, “but everything flows from gold. So, we should take the one which gives out gold.” But the wife told them both: “What will one do with a kingdom or with wealth? Man’s life depends on food. The jewel which will provide meals is the best.” The daughter-in-law however insisted: “Let it be the one which gives as many garments and jewelled ornaments as one wants. The rest are all of no use.” Arguing thus with each other, they all got into a quarrel.

  ‘Sick at heart, the brahmin went back to the king. He returned all the jewels to him and told him about the conflicting demands of his family members. The king was gracious. To satisfy them all, he presented the entire set of the four jewels to the brahmin who went home overjoyed.’

  Concluding the tale, the statuette said: ‘O King, magnanimity is a spontaneous quality, not something put on. Thus,

  Like fragrance in champaka blossoms

  radiance in pearls, and sweetness

  in the sugar cane, magnanimity

  is something innate.

  ‘If you possess such magnanimity, only then may you sit on this throne.’

  4. A Test of Gratitude

  On another occasion, as King Bhoja was again about to mount the throne after having made all the arrangements for his coronation ceremony, the fourth statuette spoke to him: ‘O King, only one who has Vikramaditya’s sense of gratitude for favours received may sit upon this throne. Mount it if you can repay a good turn like him.’

  ‘What was his gratitude like?’ the king asked. ‘Listen, Your Majesty,’ replied the statuette, ‘there was an eminent man of learning in the city of Ujjayini. His virtuous wife was very unhappy as she had no son. “Lord, you have the insight of wisdom, and know every thing,” she asked her husband humbly, her hands clasped together, “tell me why I do not have a son.”

  “‘Listen, my dear,” the brahmin replied to his wife, “I will tell you if there is faith in your heart. An intelligent person can earn wealth with due effort, but fame and progeny are two things which cannot be obtained on this earth except by propitiating the great god Śiva.”

  ‘The pious lady then told her husband: “If what we desire can be attained by praying to the great god, let us then worship that lord with all ceremony, so that with his grace a good son may be born to me.”

  ‘The brahmin commenced the worship of Śiva in keeping with his wife’s counsel. Wise people do not neglect advice just because it is given by a woman. Besides, he had heard the ancient saying:

  One should not take poison from

  someone merely because he is learned,

  nor bad advice because he is full of years;

  but nectar should be accepted even from

  a yokel, and good words even from a child.

  ‘After the brahmin and his wife had begun praying to Śiva together with his consort Pārvatī and son Skanda, the great god appeared to him in a dream and told him that he would obtain a male offspring when he had observed a ritual fast on a Saturday which was also the thirteenth day of the lunar month. Thus commanded by the god, the brahmin undertook the fast in the prescribed manner, and happily became in consequence the father of a son.

  ‘The brahmin performed his son’s birth ceremony, and named him Deva Datta on the twelfth day. He followed up with all the other important rites, from the first feeding with rice to the investiture with the sacred thread, after which he instructed his son in the scriptures, the law books and all the arts. In the boy’s sixteenth year the brahmin held his tonsure ceremony, and then got him married and settled in a livelihood. Himself wishing to se
t out on pilgrimage, he finally offered the lad his parting counsel: “Pay heed, my son. I am giving you this advice for your welfare in this and the next world. Never forsake your duties even if you are in extreme difficulties. Never argue with strangers. Have compassion for all creatures. Be devoted to the great god. Do not covet other men’s wives. Do not quarrel with the powerful. Follow the wise. Suit your words to the occasion, and your expenses to your means. Good people should be cultivated and the wicked avoided. Do not tell secrets to women.”

  ‘Having exhorted his son repeatedly in this manner about proper conduct, the brahmin went away with his wife to Vārānasī. And Deva Datta remained in the city, following his father’s advice.

  ‘Once Deva Datta was cutting wood in the hillside forest for a fire sacrifice. King Vikramaditya, wishing to hunt, went with his men to the forest at the same time. There he came upon a mighty boar and chased it all alone on horseback, his bow uplifted to shoot. Pursuing it from glade to glade, he brought down the great beast, but in the process was separated from his retinue and lost his way.

  ‘Seeing Deva Datta with his load of firewood, the king asked the brahmin how to get to the city. The latter not only pointed out the way, but also offered fruit and water to the king, and accompanied him to the capital, himself marching ahead.

  ‘A long time passed. Once the king mentioned in court the good turn the brahmin had done him. “How can I repay my debt to Deva Datta?” the king said. “He brought me to the city from the depth of a great forest.” Someone remarked on this occasion: “How good is this man! He does not forget any favour done to him. As it is said,

  Remembering the little bit of water

  it was nourished with in its youth,

  the coconut tree bears a load

  of fruit upon its head and gives

  a nectar-like juice to men

  as long as it lives: the good

  never forget the favours they receive.”

  ‘The brahmin heard about the king’s statement. “The king speaks thus,” he said to himself, “but is it true or false? The reality has to be seen.” He then somehow hid the king’s son in his own house without anyone knowing it, and sent a servant with one of the prince’s ornaments for sale in the city.

  ‘Meanwhile a tremendous commotion had broken out in the royal palace that the prince had been murdered by some thief, and the king himself had despatched his officers to search everywhere for his son. When they looked in the market place, the found Deva Datta’s servant there with an ornament in his hand. Recognizing it to be the prince’s, they tied him up and took him to the king. “You villain!” they questioned him “How has this ornament come into your possession?” “It was given to me by Deva Datta the brahmin,” the man replied. “I am his servant. He sent me to the market to sell the ornament and bring back the money.”

  ‘The king swiftly summoned Deva Datta, and enquired about all that had happened. The brahmin hung his head as if in fear. While the people mostly took him to be the culprit, he just stood in the court and said nothing for a while. Then he spoke haltingly: “I abducted and killed your son for the sake of money. Sentence me as such.”

  ‘When they heard this, the courtiers who were present cried out: “Cut this villain into nine pieces! Grind him in an oil mill! Bind him with ropes of grass, and burn him on the highway! Whatever the method, he deserves to be put to death by torture.”

  ‘The king did not approve what the courtiers said. He remembered the good turn done to him in the past, and himself addressed Deva Datta: “Sir, you took care to show me the way when I was alone in the forest, and saved my life. But for that where would my kingdom be, and where indeed my progeny? This pardon will be some recompense, but I will still remain indebted to you. Have no fear that it will be otherwise.” With these words, that forgiving monarch praised Deva Datta and dismissed him with decorations and robes of honour.

  ‘The brahmin brought back the prince and restored him to his father. The king was astonished. “O Deva Datta!” he exclaimed, “why did you do all this?” “Listen, Your Majesty,” replied the brahmin. “You often asked in the assembly: ‘How can I ever repay my debt of gratitude to Deva Datta?’ So, I did this to test your heart. The result is revealed in yourself.”

  “‘One who forgets an act of kindness is the basest of men,” the king commented. But Deva Datta said: “Your Majesty is kind to the whole world, even without any ulterior motive. That is why you are **** best of all the people. As it is said,

  Those who live to do good

  to others, even without reason

  they indeed are the best, the blessed

  adepts of virtue at all time.”

  ‘The courtiers too cried out in amazement:

  “The earth upholds these two

  or, it may be said, these two

  uphold the earth:

  one whose heart

  is engrossed in doing kindness; and one

  who never forgets a kindness done.”

  ‘Thus, O King,’ concluded the statuette, ‘if you are possessed of such a sense of gratitude, then sit with ease upon this throne.’

  5. A Dilemma of Duties

  When the lord of the Bhojas once more proceeded to mount the throne, he came to the fifth statuette. ‘A man of such magnanimity and depth of character is alone worthy of sitting upon this throne,’ she said, addressing the king. ‘Listen, a certain great merchant once brought some gemstones and showed them to the emperor Vikramaditya. After he had sold them to the monarch at an appropriate price, the merchant exhibited yet another gem to him. The roseate glow of this precious jewel left the assembly stock still with amazement never seen before. Vikrama specially praised and commended the merchant, asking him if he had another similar gem. “There are ten others finer than this one, O king of kings,” said the merchant, “they are at my village. Send someone for them if you like.”

  ‘The king was pleased to hear this. With the help of his own men of affairs he appraised the ten gems at ten millions each. He then asked a retainer to go and fetch them. “We must see you without fail on the eighth day from today,” he told the officer, who bowed his head in acknowledgement of this difficult order, and set off immediately.

  ‘On the eighth day the officer returned to the city with the gems, but presented only five before the king. “Where are the other five?” Vikrama asked him. The officer clasped his hands together and said humbly: “Sire, as commanded by you I obtained the ten gems immediately, but halfway on my journey back I was overtaken by rain. My path was blocked by a raging river, its waters muddied and its banks overflowing in a flood. I was greatly worried. The river was difficult to ford. There was no one to take me across. How was I to get back that very day? Luckily for me a man came by. ‘Friend, will you, take me across this river?’ I asked. ‘Traveller,’ he said to me, ‘this river is overflowing its banks today. How can it be forded? Moreover, a wise man should avoid crossing a river in flood. As it is said,

  Fording a flooded river,

  quarrelling with a powerful man,

  and confronting a numerous crowd,

  are things to be eschewed from afar.

  Similarly,

  Never put your trust

  in the deeds of women,

  the favour of kings,

  the friendship of serpents,

  the affection of businessmen,

  and the fording of swollen rivers.’

  “‘What you say is true enough, ferryman,’ I replied, ‘but I have important work to do. And what needs to be done specially has priority over what is generally done. As it is said,

  The exception indeed prevails

  over the general rule;

  or, as one may see, the first

  generally supercedes the second.

  “‘Thus, crossing the river is a general matter for me, but the king’s business must prevail over it. Even what you say is of no consequence in comparison to the importance of such work. I have to be present today itself at t
he royal feet, and which man can dare to transgress the king’s command?’

  “‘When I spoke like this, the man looked at me and said: ‘I will take you across the river if you give me five of the gems.’

  “‘A great debate then ensued within my mind. Should I give such a fording fee, or should I not? If I give away the king’s property it will spoil the reputation of my judgement. If I do not, I will be in the great danger of disobeying the king’s command. What could be the way out in these circumstances, which I might follow for my safety?

  “‘While I was in this dilemma, a great thought came to my mind. Lovely garments, bright and soft; abundant wealth; ornaments radiant with splendid gems; beautiful women of extraordinary charm and virtue: all these are commonplace for the very affluent, and result moreover, merely in material enjoyment. What is particular for kings is that their orders are carried out on this earth.

  “‘With this thought, two ancient stanzas passed through my memory:

  The object of asceticism is chastity;

  of learning, full knowledge;

  of wealth, charity and enjoyment;

  and of authority the only

  object is to be obeyed.

  To disobey kings, to dishonour

  the learned, and to consign

  women to a separate bed,

  is said to be the same

  as killing them without a weapon.

  “Arriving at this conclusion, and afraid of disobeying your commandment, I gave away five of the gems to cross the river and come to your feet.”

  ‘King Vikramaditya was pleased to hear his servant’s statement,’ said the statuette, ‘and gave him the remaining five gems as an appropriate reward. If such magnanimity and sense of propriety obtains in Your Majesty, then, Great King, mount this mighty throne.’

  6. Distress and Deceit