कथासरित्सागरः — पञ्चमस्तरङ्गः

पञ्चमस्तरङ्गः ।

ततो ऽन्येद्युरलंकारवतीवासगृहे स्थितम् ।
नरवाहनदत्तं तं संनिधौ सर्वमन्त्रिणाम् ॥

Summary AI Then, one day, while Naravāhanadatta was staying in the apartment of Alaṅkāravatī in the presence of all his ministers...

९.५.२

एत्य विज्ञापयामास मरुभूतिकसेवकः ।
सोदर्यः सौविदल्लस्य तदन्तः पुररक्षिणः ॥

Summary AI A servant of Marubhūti, who was the brother of the palace guard Sauvidalla, approached and informed him.

९.५.३

मरुभूतेर्मया देव सेवा वर्षद्वयं कृता ।
भोजनाच्छादनं दत्तं सभार्यस्यामुना मम ॥

Summary AI "O King, I have served Marubhūti for two years. During this time, he has provided food and clothing for both me and my wife."

९.५.४

आभाषितास्तु तत्पृष्ठे दीनाराः प्रतिवत्सरम् ।
पञ्चाशद्ये ममानेन तानेष न ददाति मे ॥

Summary AI "However, besides that, he promised me fifty dīnāras per year, but he is not giving those to me."

९.५.५

मृग्यमाणेन चैतेन चरणेनाहमाहतः ।
तेनोपविष्टः प्राये ऽहं सिंहद्वारे ऽस्य तावके ॥

Summary AI "When I asked for them, he struck me with his foot. Therefore, I have sat down at your palace gate to fast unto death."

९.५.६

विचारयति चेन्नात्र देवो मे तत्करोम्यहम् ।
अग्निप्रवेशमधिकं किं वच्म्येष हि मे प्रभुः ॥

Summary AI "If your majesty does not investigate this matter, I shall enter the fire. What more can I say? For he is my master."

९.५.७

इत्युक्त्वा विरते तस्मिन्मरुभूतिरभाषत ।
देया मयास्मै दीनाराः सांप्रतं तु न सन्ति मे ॥

Summary AI When the servant stopped speaking, Marubhūti replied, "I must indeed pay him the dīnāras, but currently, I do not have them."

९.५.८

इत्युक्तवन्तं सर्वेषु प्रहसत्सु स्वमन्त्रिणम् ।
नरवाहनदत्तस्तं मरुभूतिमभाषत ॥

Summary AI While all the other ministers were laughing, Naravāhanadatta spoke to his minister Marubhūti, who had said this.

९.५.९

किमेवं मूर्खभावस्ते नाधिकेयं मतिस्तव ।
उत्तिष्ठ दीनारशतं देह्यस्मा अविलम्बितम् ॥

Summary AI "Why are you acting so foolishly? Is your intelligence not greater than this? Rise and give him a hundred dīnāras without delay."

९.५.१०

एतत्प्रभोर्वचः श्रुत्वा मरुभूतिर्विलज्जितः ।
तदैवानीय तत्तस्मै स दीनारशतं ददौ ॥

Summary AI Hearing these words of his lord, Marubhūti felt ashamed; he immediately brought those hundred dīnāras and gave them to the servant.

९.५.११

ततो ऽत्र गोमुखो ऽवादीन्न वाच्यो मरुभूतिकः ।
विचित्रचित्तवृत्तिर्यत्सर्गो देव प्रजापतेः ॥

Summary AI Then Gomukha said, "O King, Marubhūti should not be blamed, for the creation of Prajāpati involves various mental dispositions."

९.५.१२

युष्माभिरेषा किं चात्र चिरदातुर्महीपतेः ।
तत्सेवकस्य च कथा प्रसङ्गाख्यस्य न श्रुता ॥

Summary AI "Have you not heard the story of King Ciradātṛ and his servant named Prasaṅga?"

९.५.१३

चिरदातेत्यभूत्पूर्वं राजा चिरपुरेश्वरः ।
सुजनस्यापि तस्यासीत्परिवारो ऽतिदुर्जनः ॥

Summary AI Formerly, there was a king named Ciradātṛ, the ruler of Cirapura. Although he was a good man, his retinue was extremely wicked.

९.५.१४

देशान्तरागतस्तस्य प्रसङ्गो नाम भूपतेः ।
मित्त्राभ्यां सहितो द्वाभ्यां बभूव किल सेवकः ॥

Summary AI A man named Prasaṅga, coming from another land with two friends, became a servant to that king.

९.५.१५

सेवां चकुर्वतस्तस्य व्यतीतं वर्षपञ्चकम् ।
न स राजा ददौ किंचिन्निमित्ते ऽप्युत्सवादिके ॥

Summary AI While he was serving, five years passed. That king did not give anything, even on occasions such as festivals.

९.५.१६

स च तस्य न संप्राप विज्ञप्त्यवसरं प्रभोः ।
परिवारस्य दौरत्म्यात्सख्योः प्रेरयतोः सदा ॥

Summary AI Despite his two friends constantly urging him, he never found an opportunity to petition the lord due to the wickedness of the king's attendants.

९.५.१७

एकदा तस्य राज्ञश्च बालः पुत्रो व्यपद्यत ।
दुःखितं चैत्य सर्वे ऽपि भृत्यास्तं पर्यवारयन् ॥

Summary AI One day, the king's young son died. All the servants approached and surrounded the grieving monarch.

९.५.१८

तन्मध्ये च प्रसङ्गाख्यः शोकादेव स सेवकः ।
सखिभ्यां वार्यमाणो ऽपि राजानं तं व्यजिज्ञपत् ॥

Summary AI In their midst, that servant named Prasaṅga, out of grief and despite being restrained by his friends, petitioned the king.

९.५.१९

बहुकालं वयं देव सेवका न च नस्त्वया ।
दत्तं किंचित्तथापीह स्थिताः स्मस्त्वत्सुताशया ॥

Summary AI "O King, we have been your servants for a long time, and you have given us nothing. Nevertheless, we stayed here in the hope of receiving something from your son."

९.५.२०

त्वया यदि न दत्तं तत्त्वत्पुत्रो ऽस्मसु दास्यति ।
सो ऽपि दैवेन नीतश्चेत्तन्नः किमिह सांप्रतम् ॥

Summary AI "We thought if you did not give anything, your son would provide for us. But if even he has been taken by fate, then what is left for us here now?"

९.५.२१

व्रजाम इति जल्पित्वा पतित्वा सो ऽस्य पादयोः ।
राज्ञ प्रसङ्गो निरगात्सखिद्वययुतस्ततः ॥

Summary AI Saying "We are leaving," Prasaṅga fell at the King's feet and departed from there accompanied by his two friends.

९.५.२२

अहो पुत्रे ऽपि बद्धास्थाः सेवका मे दृढा इमे ।
तदेते मम न त्याज्या इति संचिन्त्य तत्क्षणम् ॥

Summary AI Reflecting that these servants were firmly devoted even to his son and should not be abandoned, the King pondered over their loyalty in that moment.

९.५.२३

स राजा तान्प्रसङ्गादीनानाय्यैव तथा धनैः ।
अपूरयद्यथा भूयो नैतान्दारिद्र्यमस्पृशत् ॥

Summary AI That King summoned Prasaṅga and his companions and enriched them with so much wealth that poverty never touched them again.

९.५.२४

एवं विचित्रा दृश्यन्ते स्वभावा देव देहिनाम् ।
यत्काले स नृपो नादादकाले तु ददौ तथा ॥

Summary AI O King, the natures of living beings are indeed strange, for that monarch did not give at the appropriate time but bestowed wealth so generously at the wrong time.

९.५.२५

इत्याख्याय कथाख्यानपटुर्भूयः स गोमुखः ।
वत्सेश्वरसुतादेशादिमामकथयत्कथाम् ॥

Summary AI Having spoken thus, the eloquent storyteller Gomukha, at the command of Naravāhanadatta (the son of the Lord of Vatsas), narrated the following story.

९.५.२६

आसीद्गङ्गातटे पूर्वं पूतपौरं तदम्बुभिः ।
सौराज्यरम्यं कनकपुराख्यं नगरोत्तमम् ॥

Summary AI Formerly, on the banks of the Gaṅgā, there was an excellent city named Kanakapura, pleasant due to good governance and its citizens purified by the river's waters.

९.५.२७

यत्र बन्धः कविगिरां छेदः प्रत्त्रेष्वदृश्यत ।
भङ्गो ऽलकेषु नारीणां सस्यसंग्रहणे खलः ॥

Summary AI In that city, binding (bandha) existed only in poetry, cutting (cheda) only in leaves, curls (bhaṅga) only in women's hair, and the word 'wicked' (khala) only in threshing floors.

९.५.२८

तत्र वासुकिनागेन्द्रतनयात्प्रियदर्शनात् ।
जातो यशोधराख्यायां राजपुत्र्यां महायशाः ॥

Summary AI There, a highly famous son was born to the princess named Yaśodharā from Priyadarśana, the son of the serpent king Vāsuki.

९.५.२९

आसीत्कनकवर्षाख्यो नगरे नृपतिः पुरा ।
कृत्स्नभूभारवोढापि यो ऽशेषगुणभूषितः ॥

Summary AI Long ago in that city, there was a King named Kanakavarṣa who, though bearing the burden of the entire earth, was adorned with all virtues.

९.५.३०

लुब्धो यशसि न त्वर्थे भीतः पापान्न शत्रुतः ।
मूर्खः परापवादेषु न च शास्त्रेषु यो ऽभवत् ॥

Summary AI He was greedy for fame but not for wealth, afraid of sin but not of enemies, and ignorant regarding the slander of others but not in the scriptures.

९.५.३१

अल्पत्वं यस्य कोपे ऽभून्न प्रसादे महात्मनः ।
चापे च बद्धमुष्टित्वं न दाने धीरचेतसः ॥

Summary AI In that high-souled and steady-minded King, smallness existed in his anger but not in his grace, and a clenched fist was seen only on his bow, never in his giving.

९.५.३२

येनात्यद्भुतरूपेण रक्षता चाखिलं जगत् ।
मारव्यथाकुलश्चक्रे दृष्टेनैवाबलाजनः ॥

Summary AI While he protected the entire world, women were overwhelmed by the pain of love the moment they beheld his extraordinary beauty.

९.५.३३

स कदाचिच्छरत्काले सोष्मण्युन्मदवारणे ।
राजहंसपरीवारे सोत्सवानन्दितप्रजे ॥

Summary AI Once, during the autumn season characterized by passionate elephants, flocks of royal swans, and subjects delighted by festivals...

९.५.३४

आत्मतुल्यगुणे रन्तुं चित्रप्रासादमाविशत् ।
आकृष्टकमलामोदवहन्मारुतशीतलम् ॥

Summary AI ...the King entered a painted palace cooled by breezes carrying the fragrance of lotuses to enjoy himself in a manner suited to his noble qualities.

९.५.३५

तत्र निर्वर्णयन्यावत्तच्चित्रं स प्रशंसति ।
तावत्प्रविश्य भूपं तं प्रतीहारो व्यजिज्ञपत् ॥

Summary AI While he was observing and praising the paintings there, the doorkeeper entered and made a representation to the King.

९.५.३६

इहागतो विदर्भेभ्यो ऽपूर्वश्चित्रकरः प्रभो ।
अनन्यसममात्मानं चित्रकर्मण्युदाहरन् ॥

Summary AI "O Lord, an unprecedented painter has arrived from Vidarbha, declaring himself to be peerless in the art of painting."

९.५.३७

रोलदेवाभिधानेन सिंहद्वारे ऽत्र तेन च ।
एतद्देवाभिलिख्याद्य चीरिकोल्लम्बिता किल ॥

Summary AI "That man named Roladeva, O King, has hung a scroll today at the main gate (Siṃhadvāra) after having painted this image upon it."

९.५.३८

तच्छ्रुत्वैवादराद्भूपेनादिष्टानयनं स तम् ।
आनिनाय प्रतीहारो गत्वा चित्रकरं क्षणात् ॥

Summary AI Upon hearing that, the King respectfully ordered him to be brought, and the doorkeeper fetched the painter in an instant.

९.५.३९

स प्रविश्य ददर्शात्र चित्रालोकनलीलया ।
स्थितं कनकवर्षं तं नृपं चित्रकरो रहः ॥

Summary AI Entering, the painter saw King Kanakavarṣa standing in private, gracefully engaged in the pastime of observing the paintings.

९.५.४०

वरनारीकुचोत्सङ्गसमर्पिततनूभरम् ।
सहेलोदञ्चितकरोपात्तताम्बूलवीटिकम् ॥

Summary AI He saw the King leaning his body against the breasts of beautiful women and taking a betel roll with his hand raised in a graceful gesture.

९.५.४१

प्रणम्य चोपविष्टस्तां राजानं विहितादरम् ।
शनैर्विज्ञापयामास रोलदेवः स चित्रकृत् ॥

Summary AI The painter Roladeva, having respectfully bowed and sat before the King, who had honored him, slowly began to speak.

९.५.४२

चीरिकोल्लम्बिता देव त्वत्पादाब्जदिदृक्षया ।
मया न विज्ञानमदात्तत्क्षन्तव्यमिदं मम ॥

Summary AI "O King! Driven by the desire to see your lotus-like feet, I suspended myself by a rope; it was not due to the pride of my knowledge. Please forgive me for this."

९.५.४३

आदिश्यतां च चित्रे किमलिखामीह रूपकम् ।
भवत्वेतत्कलाशिक्षायत्नो मे सफलः प्रभो ॥

Summary AI "Pray, command me what form I should paint here. O Lord! Let this effort of my training in the arts be successful."

९.५.४४

इति चित्रकरेणोक्ते स राजा निजगाद तम् ।
उपाध्याय यथाकामं किंचिदालिख्यतां त्वया ॥

Summary AI When the painter said this, the King replied to him, "O Master, paint whatever you desire."

९.५.४५

ह्लादयामो वयं चक्षुर्भ्रान्तिस्त्वत्कौशले तु का ।
इत्युक्ते तेन राज्ञात्र तत्पार्श्वस्था बभाषिरे ॥

Summary AI "We shall gladden our eyes; what doubt can there be regarding your skill?" When the King said this, his attendants spoke.

९.५.४६

राजैवालिख्यतामन्यैर्विरूपैः किं प्रयोजनम् ।
तच्छ्रुत्व चित्रकृत्तुष्टः स तं राजानमालिखत् ॥

Summary AI "Let only the King be painted! What is the use of other ugly subjects?" Hearing this, the pleased painter depicted the King.

९.५.४७

तुङ्गेन नासावंशेन दीर्घरक्तेन चक्षुषा ।
विपुलेन ललाटेन कुतलैः कुञ्चितासितैः ॥

Summary AI He painted the King with a prominent bridge of the nose, long reddish eyes, a broad forehead, and curly black hair.

९.५.४८

विस्तीर्णेनोरसा रूढबाणादिव्रणशोभिना ।
भुजयुग्मेन दिग्दन्तिकराकारेण हारिणा ॥

Summary AI He portrayed him with a broad chest beautified by arrow scars and charming arms shaped like the trunks of the celestial elephants.

९.५.४९

मध्येन मुष्टिमेयेन केसरीन्द्रकिशोरकैः ।
उपायनीकृतेनेव पराक्रमपराजितैः ॥

Summary AI He depicted him with a waist so slender it could be spanned by a fist, appearing like an offering from lion cubs surpassed in valor.

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