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Vīravara turned around, and rushed towards his house, not wishing to waste any more time. The king followed him, curious to see what would happen. Vīravara reached home, woke up his wife Dharmavatī, and told her about the whole incident. “Ma Prithvi has said that if we offer Sattvavara to Devi Caṇḍī, the king’s untimely death can be averted, and he will go on to live for another one hundred years.
तच् छ्रुत्वा सा तम् आह स्म नाथ कार्यं शिवं प्रभोः ।
तत्प्रबोध्य सुतस्यास्य शिशोर् वक्तु भवान् इति ॥ १२,११.५७ ॥
ततः प्रबोध्य सुप्तं तं बालं सत्त्ववरं सुतम् ।
आख्याय तं च वृत्तान्तम् एवं वीरवरो ऽब्रवीत् ॥ १२,११.५८ ॥
तत् पुत्र चण्डिकादेव्या उपहारीकृते त्वयि ।
राजा जीवत्य् असौ नो चेत् तृतीये ऽह्नि विपद्यते ॥ १२,११.५९ ॥
एतच् छ्रुत्वैव बालो ऽपि यथार्थं नाम दर्शयन् ।
अक्लीबचित्तः पितरं तं स सत्त्ववरो ऽब्रवीत् ॥ १२,११.६० ॥
कृतार्थो ऽहं मम प्राणै राजा चेत् तात जीवति ।
भुक्तस्य हि तदन्नस्य दत्ता स्यान् निष्कृतिर् मया ॥ १२,११.६१ ॥
तत्किं विलम्ब्यते नीत्वा भगवत्याः पुरो ऽधुना ।
उपहारीकुरुध्वं माम् अस्तु शान्तिर् मया प्रभोः ॥ १२,११.६२ ॥
इति सत्त्ववरेणोक्ते तेन वीरवरो ऽत्र सः ।
साधु सत्यं प्रसूतो ऽसि मत्तः पुत्रेत्य् अभाषत ॥ १२,११.६३ ॥
एतत् सो ऽन्वागतो राजा सर्वं श्रुत्वा बहिः स्थितः ।
अह एषां समं सत्त्वं सर्वेषाम् इत्य् अचिन्तयत् ॥ १२,११.६४ ॥
Dharmavatī replied “My dear, it is our duty to ensure the welfare and prosperity of the king, and the prosperity of our kingdom lies in the long life of our beloved king. Let us wake up Sattvavara and tell him everything.”
And so they woke up their son and told him all that had occurred, and concluded by saying “
“My son, the only way out is if your life is offered to Devi Caṇḍī. If this is not done, our king will die on the third day from today.”
Sattvavara was a true son of his valorous father. “If by sacrificing my life I can save the life of the king and ensure the prosperity of the kingdom, then there is nothing to think about”, he said. “I will consider this a repayment for all the good that the king has done for us. Please take me to the temple and offer me right away. Let this bad time that awaits our king, be dispelled by my death!”
Vīravara wiped his tears and hugged his son. ” You make me proud of you”, he said, clasping him tightly.
King Śūdraka, who was witnessing this emotional exchange, thought to himself “Not just Vīravara, his whole family is courageous and loyal to the kingdom. We are blessed!”
ततो वीरवरः स्कन्धे कृत्वा सत्त्ववरं सुतम् ।
भर्या धर्मवती चास्य कन्यां वीरवतीम् अपि ॥ १२,११.६५ ॥
उभौ तौ ययतुस् तस्यां रात्रौ तच् चण्डिकागृहम् ।
राजापि शूद्रकश् छन्नः पृष्टतः स तयोर् ययौ ॥ १२,११.६६ ॥
तत्र देव्याः पुरः स्कन्धात् सो ऽथ पित्रावतारितः ।
देवीं सत्त्ववरो नत्वा धैर्यराशिर् व्यजिज्ञपत् ॥ १२,११.६७ ॥
मम मूर्धोपहारेण राजा जीवतु शुद्रकः ।
अन्यद् वर्षशतं देवि कुर्याद् राज्यम् अकण्टकम् ॥ १२,११.६८ ॥
एवम् उक्तवतस् तस्य साधु साध्व् इत्य् उदीर्य सः ।
सूनोः सत्त्ववरस्याथ कृष्ट्वा करतलां शिशोः ॥ १२,११.६९ ॥
छित्त्वा शिरश् चण्डिकायै देव्यै वीरवरो ददौ ।
मत्पुत्रेणोपहारेण राजा जीवत्व् इति ब्रुवन् ॥ १२,११.७० ॥
साधु कः स्वामिभक्तो ऽन्यः समो वीरवर त्वया ।
येनैवम् एकसत्पुत्रप्राणव्ययविधायिना ॥ १२,११.७१ ॥
दत्तो जीवश् च राज्यं च शुद्रकस्यास्य भूपतेः ।
इत्य् अन्तरिक्षाद् उदगात् तत्क्षणं तत्र भारती ॥ १२,११.७२ ॥
तच् च सर्वं नृपे तस्मिंश् छन्ने शृण्वति पस्यति ।
कन्या वीरवती सा तु बाला वीरवरात्मजा ॥ १२,११.७३ ॥
उपेत्याश्लिष्य मूर्धाणं तस्य भ्रातुर् हतस्य तम् ।
विलपन्त्य् उरुशोकान्धा हृत्स्फोटेन व्यपद्यत ॥ १२,११.७४ ॥
ततो वीरवरं भार्या धर्मवत्य् एवम् अब्रवीत् ।
राज्ञस् तावत् कृतं श्रेयस् तद् इदानीं वदामि ते ॥ १२,११.७५ ॥
निर्ज्ञाना यत्र बालापि भ्रातृशोकाद् इयं मृता ।
नष्टे ऽपत्यद्वये ऽप्य् अस्मिंस् तत्र किं जीवितेन मे ॥ १२,११.७६ ॥
प्राग् एव राज्ञः श्रेयोर्थं मूढया स्वशिरो मया ।
देव्यै नोपहृतं तस्माद् देह्य् अनुज्ञां ममाधुना ॥ १२,११.७७ ॥
प्रविषम्य् अनलं तावद् आत्तापत्यकलेवरा ।
इत्याग्रहाद् वदन्तीं तां सो ऽथ वीरवरो ऽब्रवीत् ॥ १२,११.७८ ॥
Vīravara then placed his son Sattvavara on his shoulders, and is wife held the hand of their daughter Vīravatī, and the four of them set out to the temple of Devi Caṇḍī, with the king following them closely.
When they reached, they all bowed down in front of the Devi, and Sattvavara climbed down from his father’s shoulders. With folded hands, he did a shāshtanga namaskara (prostration) to the Devi, and said…
“O all powerful Devi! Please accept the offering of my life in lieu of the great king Śūdraka. May he rule the kingdom for another one hundred years! May he continue to bring prosperity to the kingdom and all it’s people!”
Vīravara exclaimed “Sadhu! Sadhu!”, and drawing his sword, folded his palms in prayer, and then cut off his son’s head in one stroke. He then placed the head in front of the Devi and said “May this sacrifice save the life of our dear king!”
No sooner had he said that, when a voice was heard from the skies “Who can be a greater devotee than you O Vīravara! By the sacrifice of your only son, you have given a new life to the king and the kingdom!”
His daughter Vīravatī then came forward, and holding her dead brother close to her, cried and cried, until her heart could take it no more, and she dropped dead next to her slain brother.
Dharmavatī then fell to the feet of her husband and said…
“My dear, we have now saved the king and the kingdom, but both my children lie dead. Poor Vīravatī, that child did not know anything about handling her grief, she was but a child…With both of them gone, what do I have to live for? I was so foolish! I should have offered my own head to the Devi, so that she could accept my sacrifice and still save the king. But now, please do not stop me. Please allow me to die along with my children!
Vīravara replied…
to be continued…