Verse with a tale - 1

Introduction

As a lover of arts & literature as well as a righteous king, Dhārādhipati Bhoja has enjoyed unprecedented fame in Indian literary and cultural history. He is best known for patronizing scholars and his own exemplary scholarship in various fields of knowledge. Bhojaprabandha by Ballāladeva is a work dedicated to his life. Various instances/incidents of his life are also compiled and authored in works by Prabandhacintāmaṇi by Merutuṅgācārya, etc. This following instance from occurs in Prabandhacintāmaṇi¹.

Praśnottara is a type of verse in Saṃskṛta which consists of conversation between two persons in form of dialogue. No specific rules are laid denote where a person’s dialogue in conversation shall end, but generally, poets choose yati as marker of end of a person’s dialogue. These kinds of verses are not very uncommon in Saṃskṛta literature. This one is also of the same kind.

The Tale

Bhīma from Caulukya dynasty ruled in state of Gurjura (Gujarāt) when king Bhoja was ruling his empire in Mālavā. During a night, the emperor, contemplative and introspective, was absorbed in the thought of epemeral nature of wealth and trascience of life. The following morning, Bhoja started donating gold coins to the needy in the Dāna Maṇḍapa.

A minister from Bhoja’s court named Rohaka took up Bhoja’s virtue of generosity as a fault. He tried to convince king to not donate at this rate in various ways. All his efforts were in vain. He was left with only one option. In the main assembly hall, he incribed following on a metal plate -

आपदर्थे धनं रक्षेत्

Save wealth for calamity

The next morning, Bhoja, ever astute, responded with equal wit:

भाग्यभाजः क्व चाऽऽपदः?।

Where are calamities for the fortunate ones?

The minister, not one to concede defeat, appended,

दैवं हि कुप्यते क्वाऽपि

Destiny enrages anywhere!

Bhoja, in his final proclamation, wrote:

सञ्चितोऽपि विनश्यति॥

Then, even that which is collected is destroyed.

“आपदर्थे धनं रक्षेद्” “भाग्यभाजः क्व चाऽऽपदः?।”
“दैवं हि कुप्यते क्वाऽपि” “सञ्चितोऽपि विनश्यति॥”

Footnote

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Original text

अथ रोहकाभिधानस्तन्महामात्यः कोशविनाशात्तदौदार्यगुणं दोषं मन्यमानोऽपरथा तं दानविधिं निषेद्धुमक्षमः सर्वावसरे भग्ने सभामण्डपभारपट्टे -

“आपदर्थे धनं रक्षेत्” इत्यक्षराणि खटिकयाऽलेखि। प्रातर्यथाऽवसरं नृपतिस्तान् वर्णान्निर्वर्ण्य समस्तपरिजने तं व्यतिकरमपह्नुवाने “भाग्यभाजः क्वचाऽपदः” इति नृपतिना लिखिते, “दैवं हि कुप्यते क्वाऽपि” एवं मन्त्रिलिखनादनन्तरं नृपतिना तद्विलोक्य “सञ्चितोऽपि विनश्यति॥” इति पुरो लिखिते स सचिवोऽभयं याचित्वा विज्ञपयामास। तदनु इयं पण्डितानां पञ्चशती मम मनोगजं ज्ञानाङ्कुशेन वशीकर्तुममात्रं महामात्रसन्निभा यथा याचितं ग्रासं लभते। तथा हि - कङ्कणोत्कीर्णमार्याचतुष्टयमेतत् -

इदमन्तरमुपकृतये प्रकृतिचला यावदस्ति सम्पदियम्। विपदि नियतोदयायां पुनरुपकर्तुं कुतोऽवसरः॥
निजकरनिकरसमृद्ध्या धवलय भुवनानि पार्वणशशाङ्क!। सुचिरं हन्त न सहते हतविधिरिह सुस्थितं कमपि॥
अयमवसरः सरस्ते सलिलैरुपकर्तुमर्थिनामनिशम्। इदमपि सुलभमम्भो भवति पुरा जलधराभ्युदये॥
कतिपयदिवसस्थायी पूरो दूरोन्नतश्च भविता ते। तटिनीतटद्रुपातिनि पातकमेकं चिरस्थायि॥

किं च -

यदनस्तमिते सूर्ये न दत्तं धनमर्थिनाम्। तद्धनं नैव जानामि प्रातः कस्य भविष्यति॥

इति स्वकृतं कण्ठाभरणीभूतं श्लोकमिष्टं मन्त्रमिव जपन्, मन्त्रिन् प्रेतप्रायेण भवता कथं विप्रलभ्ये।

1. (7) Bhoja-Bhīma Prabandha, Prabandhacintāmaṇi by Merutuṅgācārya. ↩