CHAPTER – 114
Markandeya said: – Thereupon the king desisted from fighting with his own son. His son too espoused the daughter of the Vaisya. (1) Thereupon attaining Vaisyahood and approaching the king, he said “O king, order me, what am I to do”. (2)
The king said: – The ascetics Babhravya and others are engaged in looking after the morals; let them say what you should do and act accordingly.” (3) Thereupon the ascetics and courtiers all said, “His duty is to look after cattle, agriculture and trade”. (4) The prince had deviated from his own order and so he acted according to what had been suggested by the pious sages. (5) He begat a son, known by the name of Bhanandana. His mother said to him “go, O my child, and be a protector of the world”. (16) Having been thus ordered by his mother and saluted her he approached the royal saint Neepa who was living on the Himalaya mountain. (7) Approaching him and saluting his feet duly, Bhanandana said to that royal saint.
(8) “O reverend sir, my mother has ordered me to be a protector of the earth. So I must protect the earth; but how can I obtain her permission? (9) I can rule over the subjects if she agrees. But my earth has been invaded by my powerful kinsmen. (10) I am thy servant. Do thou so order, O lord, that I may, by thy favour, obtain the earth; I shalt carry out thy order”.
(11)
Markandeya said: – Thereupon, O Brahman, the royal saint Neepa conferred upon the high-souled Bhanandana all the arms. (12) Having obtained the knowledge of arms and being ordered by that high-souled one he went to his cousins Vasurat and others. (13) He then wanted the half of his ancestral kingdom. They said, “you are a son of a Vaisya, how can you enjoy the earth?” (14) Then Bhanandana began to fight with Vasurat and others born in his own family who in anger began to make a downpour of weapons. (15) Having wounded all their soldiers with weapons and vanquished them all in fair fight that one, conversant with virtue, took the earth from them. (16) Having defeated all his enemies he dedicated the entire earth and kingdom to his father, but he did not accept it. He then said to his son in the presence of his wife. (17)
NABHAGA said: – O Bhanandana, this kingdom was created by your fore-fathers. This belongs to you. I did not make this kingdom. This was not owing to my inability. (18) I have attained to Vaisyahood and did not carry out the order of my father. Having displeased my father I married the daughter of a Vaisya. (19) A king is not entitled to the enjoyment of sacred regions till the time of dissolution. (20) And then again disregarding the order of my father if I govern the earth I shall not attain emancipation even in a hundred Kalpas. (21) I am a respectable person; it does not behove me to enjoy a kingdom earned by your arms; (then again) I am weak. (22) Therefore do you yourself govern the kingdom or give it over to your
kinsmen. I am your father; it is not so much becoming for you to govern the earth as it is for you to carry out my order. (23)
Markandeya said: – Thereupon his graceful wife Suprabha laughing said to her husband: – “O king, accept this prosperous kingdom. (24) You are not a Vaisya nor am I born in a Vaisya family, O king. You are a Kshatriya and I am also born in a Kshatriya race. (25) In the days of yore there flourished a king by name Sudeva. Dumrashya’s son Nala was his friend. (26) In the month of Madhu, O king, he, along with his friend and wives, went to a forest of mangoes on a pleasure trip. (27) There accompanied by his friend and wives he enjoyed diverse drinks and edibles. (28) Thereupon on the bank of the tank he saw the highly beautiful royal wife of Pramati, the son of Chyavana. (29) His vicious-minded friend Nala, under the influence of drink, caught hold of her, who was crying out ‘Save me, save me’ in the very presence of the king. (30) Hearing her cries her husband Pramati came there speedily saying “What is this”?
(31) There he saw the king Sudeva and his wife in the grasp of the vicious-minded Nala. (32)
Thereat Pramati said to Sudeva: – “Desist him. Thou art the governor and king. O king, (in your presence) this Nala has committed such a violence.” (33) Hearing his distressful words and on account of his great love for Nala, Sudeva said to him: – “I am a Vaisya: seek refuge with a Kshatriya for her safety.” (34) Thereupon when the king said that he was a Vaisya, Pramati, worked up with anger and as if burning all with his energy, said to him: -(35) “True it is, that you are a Vaisya. He, who saves one from injury, is a Kshatriya. They take up their arms lest any one sets out a doleful cry. You are not a Kshatriya but the wretch of a Kshatriya”. (36)