‘Best of rulers, listen to this wonderful tale,’ said the next fair statuette as the king came to mount the throne.
‘In providing protection to the land, it was King Vikramaditya’s rule to travel abroad for half the year, and to foster welfare at home in the other half. In this way he governed the realm and also went out of the city and the country to see other lands. He travelled the whole earth from the Himalayas to the sea, observing with great interest all the holy places of pilgrimage and temples, the towns and the hilltops, and the beautiful forest regions bordering the rivers.
‘Once when he had gone abroad, after visiting various lands the king came to a city called Padmālaya. Seeing a fine lake of very pure water in a park outside the town, he drank from it and sat down there. Other people, some of them strangers and some natives of the place, had also come there and were sitting similarly. “O we have seen many countries and places of pilgrimage,” they were saying to each other, “we have climbed very difficult and inaccessible mountains. But in no place did we see a really great personage.” “How can one be seen?” observed one of them. “It is impossible to go where a great saint may be. The roads are difficult. There are many hazards on the way. One may even lose one’s life. And if one perishes in the beginning of an enterprise, who gets its fruit? For this reason the wise must protect themselves as the first priority. As it is said, the primary means of attaining dharma is one’s own body. Thus,
Wives and wealth, land and sons,
good and evil actions can occur again
and again, but this body will not.
“‘Therefore wise men will not take risks. Thus,
The clever man does not commence
works which are fruitless, difficult
to finish, impossible, or where
the expenses neutralize the profit.
For,
Even in times of danger
the wise man will not go
up a difficult and terrible
mountain full of serpents.
“‘For, whatever is done should be done after due thought, and one should not undertake any work of which the end result will be minimal.”
‘The king was also listening to this conversation. “Why do you speak like this, O strangers?” he said. “Everything is difficult to obtain as long as a man does not act with manliness and courage. It is said,
Courageous men do not just
keep waiting for opportunities.
Many desirable things may
be hard to get, but can
nevertheless be obtained,
“‘Thus,
Sometimes water falls into a ditch
from the sky; but it can also
come there from below.
Fate is unimaginably powerful
in this world, but is not
manly effort powerful too?”
“‘What should be done, then?” said those people, after listening to the king. “Tell us, great hero.” The king replied: “If you go twelve leagues from this city, there is a cragged mountain in the middle of a great forest. At its top there lives a great master yogi named Trikāla Nātha. He gives whatever one desires if one can see him. I am going there.” “We will come too,” they said, and the king told them: “Come with pleasure.”
‘They then set out with the king. Finding the forest road extremely difficult to traverse, they asked him: “Great hero, how far is the mountain?” “Eight leagues more,” the king replied. “Then we will go back,” they said, “It is very far and the road is very difficult.” “O strangers,” said the king, “what is far for those on business? It is said,
Nothing is too burdensome for the capable,
and nothing too far for those
on business. No land is foreign
for the well educated, and none
can be alien for those who speak sweedy.”
‘Having travelled for another six leagues, as they went ahead a frightful serpent with great gaping jaws spitting poisonous flames blocked their path. On seeing it the others took fright and ran away, but the king persisted in going forward. The serpent came up and bit him after capturing him in its coils. But, though encircled by the reptile, and swooning with the power of its venom, the king nevertheless climbed that most inaccessible of mountains and saw the yogi Trikāla Nātha, whom he saluted.
‘At the mere sight of the yogi, the serpent left the king, who was also freed from its venom. “O great hero,” said the yogi, “why have you come to this inhospitable place so recklessly and with so much trouble?” “O master,” replied the king, “I have come only to behold Your worship.” “Did you have much trouble?” the yogi asked. “None at all,” said the king. “How could there be any trouble? At the mere sight of Your Worship all my sins have disappeared. I am blessed today, for it is very hard to get to see the great. What is more, one must work for self-improvement as long as the body and the senses are sound. It is thus said,
The wise should make every effort
to improve themselves as long as
this body is healthy and whole,
the faculties unimpaired,
old age still distant
and life not yet exhausted.
What is the use of attempting
to dig a well when the house
is already on fire?”
‘The yogi was pleased to hear these words. He presented to the king a quilt, a crayon and a stick, explaining the powers of all three. With the crayon one could draw the picture of an army. It would come to life if touched with the stick held in the right hand, and carry out whatever was desired; when touched with the stick held in the left hand, it would vanish. The quilt would yield money, grain, clothing, ornaments and other things one wished for.
‘The king accepted the gifts and took leave of the yogi after paying his respects. As he was coming back, he saw on the road a prince who was collecting wood for a fire he had built nearby. “Gentle sir,” the king asked him,” “What is this? What are you doing?” He replied:
“How can sorrow be explained
to someone who has not suffered it,
who cannot cure it, and who
does not feel it for another? ”
‘The king then said:
“I have suffered sorrow,
I am able to cure it,
and I feel it for others.
So, explain it to me.”
‘The prince then said: “You are a mirror which reflects the grief of others. I am the son of a king. My kingdom was taken away by force by my kinsmen. Unable to retaliate against them or to bear this humiliation, I am collecting firewood to immolate myself.”’
‘The king then gave him the crayon, the stick and the quilt and explained their magic qualities. Well contented, the prince saluted the king and went home. King Vikrama also returned to Ujjayini. It is said:
Who can compare with
Vikrama on this earth?
He obtained from the yogi
three things of great power
which fulfill all desires,
and gave them away
to a king deprived of his kingdom.’
At these words of the statuette, the lord of the Bhojas stood for a moment frozen, like someone in a picture. Then he hung his head and again went back to the inner apartment.