________________
Siddhasena Divākara and Vikramaditya
137
tickets) of the countries of their enemies and in cutting down the expansion (pun creepers) of the latters' royal wealth ( pun: lotuses). Such kingly procedure betrays individual liking. An outcome of real strength is what you are practising, when, after defeating inimical royal dynasties, you equip them with a royal wealth which is the hundred-fold of that to which they were accustomed.
(15) All the qualities have one overlord, and are void of quality without this their chief, viz., Pride.107 Keeping this in mind, kings who are fond of qualities embrace pride alone, and no other (quality). What, however, is he (the other kings' Pride) to you? Though he has found shelter with those ( princes ), you eradicate him with his very roots as a mad elephant ( eradicates ) a sapling! (16) Can any king whose royal diadem keeps near your feet ( owing to his constantly bowing to you) acquire the same renown as is gained by the one who makes you frown, O Lord of the Earth? (knowing this to be unlikely) he who is fond of renown breaks your order: for a deer which boldly indicates its presence and con-fronts the lion cannot escape the latter's notice.
(17) The Autumn purifies the rivers whose water became turbid during the rainy season, it brings about the reunion of the lake with the lotuses, thus causing fresh joy, it opens the (whole ) expanse of the sky and cleanses the lustre of the moon (Candra): yet with those mean persons, your enemies, this (season) is not popular (as it is the season of warfare and they fear to be defeated by you ) !
( 18 I wonder how in the world this divine secret got disclosed, (but it is a fact that ) since he whom you kill in battle reaches the highest step of Viṣņu, a king who desires final beatitude makes his chest ready for your arrow, not heeding Lakṣmi who lovingly attends him!
(19) It depends on the reciprocal care (of husband and wife for each other) whether a woman becomes virtuous or licentious. This fact is before the eyes of the world. For in the past, so long as For Private & Personal Use Only
Jain Education International
www.jainelibrary.org
