“Oh king of kings! I am pleased; you are a man of extraordinary abilities and compassion, and matchless in generosity. You have made your presence felt for all time, and you will be remembered for your acts of compassion.”
“And so tell me, what boon do you desire from me?”
न भक्ष्याः सानुतापेन भूत्वा नागाः पुनस् त्वया ।
ते ऽप्य् अस्थिशेषा जीवन्तु ये त्वया पूर्वभक्षिताः ॥ १२,२३.१९४ ॥
एवम् अस्तु न भोक्ष्ये ऽहं नागाञ् शान्तमतः परम् ।
प्राग् ये च भुक्तास् ते जीवन्त्व् इति तार्क्ष्यो ऽप्य् उवाच सः ॥ १२,२३.१९५ ॥
ततो ऽस्तिशेषा ये ऽप्य् आसन् नागास् तत्पूर्वभक्षिताः ।
ते ऽपि सर्वे समुत्तस्थुस् तद्वरामृतजीविताः ॥ १२,२३.१९६ ॥
सुरैर् नगैर् मुनिगनैः सानन्दैर् मिलितैर् अथ ।
स लोकत्रितयाभिख्याम् उवाह मलयाचलः ॥ १२,२३.१९७ ॥
तत् कालं तं च जीमूतवाहनोदन्तम् अद्भुतम् ।
गौर्याः प्रसादाद् विविदुः सर्वे विद्याधरेश्वराः ॥ १२,२३.१९८ ॥
आगत्य ते च चरणावनता हिमाद्रिं निन्युः क्षणान् मुदितबन्धुसुहृत्समेतम् ।
तं पार्वतीस्वकरकॢप्तमहाभिषेकं सच्चक्रवर्तिनम् अथ प्रतिमुक्ततार्क्ष्यम् ॥ १२,२३.१९९ ॥
तत्र स पित्रा मात्रा मित्रावसुना च मलयवत्या च ।
निजगृहगतागतेन च संयुक्तः शङ्खचूडेन ॥ १२,२३.२०० ॥
लोकोत्तरचरिताद्भुतसिद्धां जीमूतवाहनः सुचिरम् ।
अभजत रत्नोपचितां विद्याधरचक्रवर्तिधुरम् ॥ १२,२३.२०१ ॥
Jīmūtavāhana folded his hands and said…
“Please repent for your actions, and never again eat a snake. Not only that, let all the snakes that you had eaten, and whose bones only remain, let them all come to life.”
Garuḍa replied…
‘Tathāstu! Let it be known to one and all, that from this day on, I will never eat a snake again. And those that I ate earlier, let them all rise to life.”
And all the snakes, whose bones had been left on the seashore, rose to life…
In time, the kings of the Vidyādharas heard this strange story of Jīmūtavāhana, and then all came to meet him and prostrated before him.
They took him to the Himālayas, along with his friends and his family, and instilled him as the king of all the Vidyādharas.
There Jīmūtavāhana, along with his parents,Mitrāvasu and Malayavatī, and, Śaṅkhacūḍa, long enjoyed the position of the king of the Vidyādharas, and the riches and wisdom that were seen in his court, had never been seen since the reign of Sri Rāmā, and such splendor was never seen again…
इत्य् अत्युदारसरसाम् आख्याय कथां तदा स वेतालः ।
पुन एव तं त्रिविक्रमसेनं पप्रच्छ राजानम् ॥ १२,२३.२०२ ॥
तद् ब्रूहि शङ्खचूडः किं वा जीमूतवाहनो ऽभ्यधिकः ।
सत्त्वेन तयोर् उभयोः पूर्वोक्तश् चात्र समयस् ते ॥ १२,२३.२०३ ॥
The Vetāla finished his story, and then addressed King Vikram and said…
“So tell me, o King, who was more noble, Jīmūtavāhana or Śaṅkhacūḍa? Who deserved more praise?
“Remember, if you know the answer, and don’t tell me the truth, your head will burst into a hundred pieces!“
King Vikram replied…
to be continued…