Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/347

 Story of Sattvaśila and the treasures.:— In the town of Chitrakúta there was a king named Bráhmanavara, rightly named, for he was devoted to honouring Bráhmans. He had a victorious servant named Sattvaśila who devoted himself exclusively to war, and every month Sattvaśila received a hundred gold-pieces from that king. But as he was munificent, that gold was not enough for him, especially as his childlessness made the pleasure of giving the sole pleasure to which he was addicted. Sattvaśila was continually reflecting " The Disposer has not given me a son to gladden me, but he has given me the vice of generosity, and that too without wealth. It is better to be produced in the world as an old barren tree or a stone, than as a poor man altogether abandoned to the vice of giving away money. But once on a time Sattvaśila, while wandering in a garden, happened by luck to find a treasure: and with the help of his servants he quickly brought home that hoard, which gleamed with much gold and glittered with priceless stones. Out of that he provided himself with pleasures, and gave wealth to Bráhmans, slaves, and friends, and thus the virtuous man spent his life. Meanwhile his relations, beholding this, guessed the secret, and went to the king's palace, and of their own accord informed the king that Sattvaśila had found a treasure. Then Sattvaśila was summoned by the king, and by order of the door-keeper remained standing for a moment in a lonely part of the king's courtyard. There, as he was scratching the earth with the hilt of a lílávajra* that was in his hand, he found another large treasure in a copper vessel. It appeared like his own heart, displayed openly for him by Destiny pleased with his virtue, in order that he might propitiate the king with it. So he covered it up again with earth as it was before, and when summoned by the door-keeper, entered the king's presence. When he had made his bow there, the king himself said, " I have come to learn that you have obtained a treasure, so surrender it to me." And Sattvaśila for his part answered him then and there, " O king, tell me: shall I give you the first treasure I found, or the one I found to-day." The king said to him " Give the one recently found." And thereupon Sattvaśila went to a corner of the king's courtyard, and gave him up the treasure. Then the king, being pleased with the treasure, dismissed Sattvaśila with these words " Enjoy the first-found treasure as you please." So Sattvaśila returned to his house. There he remained increasing the propriety of his name with gifts and enjoyments, and so managing to dispel somehow or other the melancholy caused by the affliction of childlessness. " Such is the story of Sattvaśila, which I heard long ago, and because I have recalled it to mind, I remain sorrowful through thinking over the