Of loyalty and rewards

Read the previous part here

Only Sattvaśīla had managed to follow the king – running through the deep woods, disregarding his own life, hungry and thirsty but determined to keep up with the monarch.

Caṇḍasiṃha spotted him, and felt relieved. “Do you know the way back?” he asked Sattvaśīla.

Illustration by the renowned Karatholuvu Chandrasekaran Shivashankaran

तदाकर्ण्याञ्जलिं बद्ध्वा स तं कार्पटिको ऽभ्यधात् ।
वेद्मि किं च क्षणं तावद् इह विश्राम्यतु प्रभुः ॥ १२,१४.१६ ॥

द्युवधूमेखलामध्यमणिर् एष हि संप्रति ।
देदीप्यते स्फुरद्रश्मिशिखाजालो ऽब्जिनीपतिः ॥ १२,१४.१७ ॥

एतच् छ्रुत्वा स राजा तं सोपरोधम् अभाषत ।
तर्हि क्वापीह पानीयं भवता प्रेक्ष्यताम् इति ॥ १२,१४.१८ ॥

तथेत्य् आरुह्य स ततस् तुङ्गं कार्पटिकस् तरुम् ।
नदीं दृष्ट्वावरुह्याथ नृपं तत्र निनाय तम् ॥ १२,१४.१९ ॥

तद् वाहं च विपर्यानीकृतं कृतविवर्तनम् ।
दत्ताम्बुशष्पकवलं विदधे विगतश्रमम् ॥ १२,१४.२० ॥

कृतस्नानाय राज्ञे च प्रोन्मुच्य वसनाञ्चलात् ।
प्रक्षाल्योपानयत् तस्मै हृद्यान्य् आमलकानि सः ॥ १२,१४.२१ ॥

एतानि कुत इत्य् एतं पृच्छन्तं स च भूपतिम् ।
एवं व्यजिज्ञपज् जानुस्थितः सामलकाञ्जलिः ॥ १२,१४.२२ ॥

एतद्वृत्तिर् अहं नित्यं व्यतीतदशवत्सरः ।
चराम्य् आराधयन् देवम् अनेकान्तमुनिव्रतम् ॥ १२,१४.२३ ॥

Sattvaśīla joined his hands together and replied ” I do, O king. But please rest here for a while, it is very hot and the sun is out in all it’s might.”

The king smiled and said “In that case, see if you can find water here somewhere…”

Sattvaśīla nodded and then climbed up a tall tree to look around. He spotted a river flowing nearby, and so got down from the tree, and led the king to it.

As the king went in to bathe, Sattvaśīla unharnessed the horse, fed it grass and water, and allowed it to rest.

The king came out of the river, dried himself and changed his clothes. Sattvaśīla took out a few delicious āmalakas (gooseberries) and offered them to the king.

“They are tasty!” exclaimed the king as he bit into one. “Where do you get these?”

Sattvaśīla replied humbly “O king, I have been living on these fruits for ten years now, for this is the salary I have received, and there are days when I live like a sadhu, since I cannot even afford these fruits on those occasions…”

तच् छ्रुत्वा सत्यनामा त्वं सत्त्वशीलः किम् उच्यते ।
इत्य् उक्त्वा स कृपाक्रान्तो ह्रीतश् चाचिन्तयन् नृपः ॥ १२,१४.२४ ॥

धिङ् नृपान् क्लिष्टम् अक्लिष्टं ये भृत्येष न जानते ।
धिक् च तं परिवारं यो न ज्ञापयति तांस् तथा ॥ १२,१४.२५ ॥

इति संचिन्त्य जग्राह स राजामलकद्वयम् ।
हस्तात् कार्पटिकस्याथ कथंचिद् अनुबध्नतः ॥ १२,१४.२६ ॥

भुक्त्वा च तन् निपीयाम्बु विशश्रामात्र स क्षणम् ।
जग्धामलकसंपीतजलकार्पटिकान्वितः ॥ १२,१४.२७ ॥

ततः सज्जीकृतं तेन वाहं कार्पटिकेन सः ।
आरुह्याग्रेसरे तस्मिन्न् एव मार्गप्रदर्शिनि ॥ १२,१४.२८ ॥

पश्चाद्भागम् अनारूढे हयस्याभ्यर्थिते ऽप्य् अलम् ।
ययौ स राजा स्वपुरिं पथि प्राप्तात्मसैनिकः ॥ १२,१४.२९ ॥

तत्र प्रख्याप्य तद्भक्तिं वसुभिर् विषयैश् च तम् ।
अपूरयत् कार्पटिकं न चामन्यत निष्कृतिम् ॥ १२,१४.३० ॥

ततः कृतार्थः पार्श्वे ऽस्य चण्डसिंहस्य भूपतेः ।
मुक्तकार्पटिकाचारः सत्त्वशीलः स तस्थिवान् ॥ १२,१४.३१ ॥

The king was astonished. “You are true to your name, Sattvaśīla – one of exceptional character!”

And saying this, the king, who was ashamed at his carelessness, thought to himself…

“Cursed are the rulers who do not notice the hardships that their servants undergo, and cursed are the attendants who do not keep such rulers informed in such matters!”

On Sattvaśīla’s repeated insistence, the king accepted two āmalakas and a jar of water, and he also made it a point to ensure that Sattvaśīla sat with him and had his refreshments as well. They then rested for a while before Sattvaśīla got the king’s horse ready.

The king insisted that Sattvaśīla also accompany him on the horse, but Sattvaśīla did not accept, and instead, walked in front of the horse, clearing the way for the king.

They met the entourage a little while away, and then continued to the city.

The king then called a meeting at his palace the very next day and described in detail Sattvaśīla’s devotion, and then rewarded him with wealth and land. “These rewards do not come close to what you deserve”, he proclaimed.

Sattvaśīla now lived the life of a prosperous man, but stayed with King Caṇḍasiṃha as one of his closest confidants.

One day, the king entrusted Sattvaśīla with a task that went on to change the lives of both these men forever…

to be continued…