Read the previous part here…
“Oh Devi, you are the protector of this whole world, and so please confer a boon on me. Let this heroic and brave Vīravara, the one with many virtues, come to life once again, along with his family. And in return, please accept the offering of my own head!”
इत्य् उदीर्यासिना राजा शिरश् छेत्तुं स शूद्रकः ।
यावत् प्रवर्तते तावद् उदभूद् भारती दिवः ॥ १२,११.१०१ ॥
मा साहसं कृथास् तुष्टा सत्त्वेनानेन ते ह्य् अहम् ।
प्रत्युज्जीवतु सापत्यदारो वीरवरो द्विजः ॥ १२,११.१०२ ॥
इत्य् उक्त्वा व्यरमद् वाक् सा स चोत्तस्थौ सपुत्रकः ।
साकं दुहित्रा पत्न्या च जीवन् वीरवरो ऽक्षतः ॥ १२,११.१०३ ॥
तद् विलोक्याद्भुतं राजा छन्नो भूत्वा पुनश् च सः ।
पश्यन्न् अतृप्तस् ताम् आसीद् दृष्ट्या हर्षाश्रुपूर्णया ॥ १२,११.१०४ ॥
सो ऽपि वीरवरो दृष्ट्वा सुप्तोत्थित इवाशु तम् ।
पुत्रदारं तथात्मानम् अभूद् विभ्रान्तमानसः ॥ १२,११.१०५ ॥
पप्रच्छ च पृथङ् नामग्राहं दारसुतान् स तान् ।
भस्मीभूताः कथं यूयं जीवन्तः पुन उत्थिताः ॥ १२,११.१०६ ॥
मयापि स्वशिरश् छिन्नं जीवाम्य् एषश् च किं न्व् इदम् ।
किं विभ्रमो ऽयम् आहो स्वित् सुस्पष्टो देव्यनुग्रहः ॥ १२,११.१०७ ॥
एवं वदन् स तैर् ऊचे दारापत्यैर् अलक्षितः ।
देव्यनुग्रह एवायं जीवामो यद् अमी इति ॥ १२,११.१०८ ॥
ततः स तत् तथा मत्वा नत्वा वीरवरो ऽम्बकाम् ।
आदाय पुत्रदारांस् तान्सिद्धकार्यो गृहं ययौ ॥ १२,११.१०९ ॥
तत्र प्रवेश्य पुत्रं तं भार्यां दुहितरं च ताम् ।
सिंहद्वारम् अगाद् राज्ञो रात्रौ तस्यां स पूर्ववत् ॥ १२,११.११० ॥
राजा स शूद्रको ऽप्य् एतद् दृष्ट्वा सर्वम् अलक्षितः ।
गत्वारुरोह स्वावासप्रासादं तं पुनस् तदा ॥ १२,११.१११ ॥
व्याहरच् च स्थितः को ऽत्र सिंहद्वारीति पृष्ठतः ।
ततो वीरवरो ऽवादीत् सैष तिष्ठाम्य् अहं प्रभो ॥ १२,११.११२ ॥
देवादेशाद् गतश् चाहम् अभूवं तां स्त्रियं प्रति ।
राक्षसीव च सा क्वापि दृष्टनष्टैव मे गता ॥ १२,११.११३ ॥
And saying this, King Śūdraka raised his sword and was about to cut off his own head when he heard a voice from the skies…
“Wait, o brave king, wait! I am pleased with your courage. You wanted to restore life to Vīravara and his family…Tathāstu! May your wish be granted…”
The king looked at Vīravara’s body, that started to stir…he quickly sheathed his sword and hid in a bush behind the temple, his eyes filled with tears of joy.
Vīravara was restored to life, and he sat up, confused as to what had happened. He looked around and saw that his wife, daughter and son had also been restored to life, and were looking as confused as him.
“How has this happened?” he asked his wife, when he was able to find some words. “You all died in front of me, and I had killed myself too. I saw you and the children reduced to ashes, then how are we all still alive? Was this a dream, or is this some Maya of the Devi?”
His wife replied “I don’t know my dear. But it is possible that this is due to the grace of Devi, without which nothing is possible, and with whose blessings, nothing is impossible!”
And they all embraced each other, not wanting to try to understand the developments any further, for the happiness of being together again was much more than anything else that they could wish for.
Vīravara dropped his family home, and that very night, returned to his duties at the palace gate, standing guard as if nothing had happened.
King Śūdraka, who had returned to the palace after witnessing all that had happened, again went up to the roof of his palace, and cried out loudly…
“Who is there at the palace gate?“
“It is me, Vīravara, o king!”, came the reply. “I had gone in search of that woman last night, but she vanished as soon as I saw her, like a Rākṣasī!”
एतच् छ्रुत्वा वचस् तस्य राजा वीरवरस्य सः ।
सुतरां विस्मयाविष्टो दृष्टोदन्तो व्यचिन्तयत् ॥ १२,११.११४ ॥
अहो समुद्रगम्भीरधीरचित्ता मनस्विनः ।
कृत्वाप्य् अनन्यसामान्यम् उल्लेखं नोद्गिरन्ति ये ॥ १२,११.११५ ॥
इत्य् आद्य् आकलयंस् तूष्णीं प्रासादाद् अवरुह्य सः ।
प्रविश्यान्तःपुरं राजा रात्रिशेषं निनाय तम् ॥ १२,११.११६ ॥
प्रातश् चास्थानसमये दर्शनोपगतस्थिते ।
तस्मिन् वीरवरे प्रीतस् तथा कृत्स्नं स भूपतिः ॥ १२,११.११७ ॥
तदीयं रात्रिवृत्तान्तं मन्त्रिभ्यस् तम् अवर्णयत् ।
यथा बभूवुर् आश्चर्यमोहिता इव ते ऽखिलाः ॥ १२,११.११८ ॥
ददौ तस्मै सपुत्राय प्रीत्या वीरवराय च ।
लाटदेशे ततो राज्यं स कर्णाटयुते नृपः ॥ १२,११.११९ ॥
ततो ऽत्र तुल्यविभवाव् अन्योन्यस्योपकारिणौ ।
आसातां तौ सुखं वीरवरशूद्रकभूपती ॥ १२,११.१२० ॥
The king was taken aback, since he knew everything that had transpired, and he thought to himself…
“It is true that wise and courageous men have minds as deep as the ocean, they do not speak about their good deeds, no matter now far they exceed the capabilities of other mortals!”
Thinking this way, the king went back into his chambers and slept.
The next morning, when Vīravara came to greet the king, he was astonished to see all the ministers present in the king’s court, waiting for him. The king narrated all that had happened, and how Vīravara and his family had sacrificed themselves for the well-being of the king and the kingdom. Everyone in the audience was dumbstruck, and showered praises on Vīravara.
The king then declared that he was making Vīravara the ruler of the provinces of Lāṭa and Karṇāṭa, as a token of his appreciation and thankfulness. The two kings, Vīravara and Śūdraka, then ruled over these kingdoms for a long, long time…people prospered and sang praises of the two great and benevolent rulers for hundred of years thereafter…
इत्य् आख्याय कथाम् एतां वेतालो ऽत्यद्भुतां तदा ।
तं त्रिविक्रमसेनं स राजानम् अवदत् पुनः ॥ १२,११.१२१ ॥
तद् ब्रूहि राजन्न् एतेषु वीरः सर्वेषु को ऽधिकः ।
पूर्व एव स शापस् ते यदि जानन् न वक्ष्यसि ॥ १२,११.१२२ ॥
The Vetāla finished his story, and then addressed King Vikram and said…
Now I have a question for you. Who was the bravest of them all? Who was the greatest? Tell me, o wise king. 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…