Pālitta meets Hāla Sātavāhana

From the Pādaliptaprabandha of Rājaśekharasūri Śrīrājaśekharasūriviracitaś caturviṃśatiprabandhāparanāmā Prabandhakośaḥ, ed. Jina Vijaya, Singhi Jaina Series 6, Ahmedabad 1931.

§5.22. atha Śrīpādaliptācāryāḥ Pratiṣṭhānapuraṃ dakṣiṇāśāmukhabhūṣaṇaṃ Godāvarītaraṅgajjalakaṇahṛtapānthaśramabharaṃ jagmuḥ / tatra Sātavāhano rājā viduṣāṃ yodhānāṃ dānaśauṇḍānāṃ bhogināṃ ca prathamaḥ /

§5.22. Next the illustrious Pālitta went to the city of Pratiṣṭhāna, the face-ornament of the guardian [Goddess] of the Southern quarter, which dispelled the weariness of travellers with spray from the turbulent water of the Godāvarī river. There ruled the Sātavāhana king, foremost among the learned, the heroes of charity, the men of luxury.

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tasya sabhāyāṃ vārtābhūd, yathā—Pādaliptācāryāḥ sarvavidyāvanitāvadanaratnadarpaṇāḥ samāgacchanti prātaḥ / tataḥ sarvaiḥ paṇḍitaiḥ sambhūya styānaghṛtabhṛtaṃ kaccolakam arpayitvā nijaḥ puruṣa eka ācāryāṇāṃ sammukhaḥ preṣitaḥ / ācāryair ghṛtamadhye sūcy ekā kṣiptā; tathaiva ca pratipreṣitaṃ tat /

There was a rumour in his court, that the teacher Pālitta, a jewelled hand-mirror for the muses of all of the sciences, will arrive in the morning. Then all of the scholars conferred and sent one from their midst to meet the teacher with a kaccolaka filled with congealed ghee. The teacher stuck a single needle into the ghee and sent it back.

rājñā sa vṛttānto jñātaḥ / paṇḍitāḥ pṛṣṭāḥ—ghṛtapūrṇakaccolakapreṣaṇena vaḥ ko bhāvaḥ ?

The king learnt of this event. He asked the scholars: “In sending the kaccolaka full of ghee, what was your intention?’’

tair uktam evam etan nagaraṃ viduṣāṃ pūrṇaṃ āste, yathā ghṛtasya vartulakam; tasmād vimṛśya preṣṭavyam iti bhāvas naḥ /

They replied: “Our intention was this: ‘This city is this full of wise men, just like this ball of ghee, so consider this and move on.’ ’’

rājñā nigaditam—tarhy ācāryaceṣṭāpi bhavadbhir jñāyatām /—yathā nirantare 'pi ghṛte nijatīkṣṇatayā sūcī praviṣṭā, tathāham api vidvannibiḍe nagare pravekṣyāmi—iti dadhvanuḥ /

The king said: “Then you also understand the teacher’s gesture.’’ They answered: “Just as a needle may enter even into dense ghee through its sharpness, so I may enter into this city crowded with scholars.’’

paṇḍitāḥ sarve rājendro 'pi saṃmukhaṃ gatāḥ / surasarillaharihariṇyā vāṇyā tuṣṭuvuḥ / nagaramānito guruḥ / NirvāṇakalikāPraśnaprakāśādiśāstrāṇi sandadarbha / ekāṃ ca Taraṅgalolāṃ nāma campūṃ rājño 'gre navāṃ nirmāya sadasi vyācakhye prabhuḥ / tuṣṭo rājā—bhavaty ayaṃ kavīndraḥ /

All the scholars and even the king went out to greet the teacher. They praised him with words as enthralling as ripplets on the celestial river Ganges. The guru was fêted by the city. He composed treatises such as the “Bud of Enlightenment” and the “Illumination of the Questions” etc. He also composed a Campū-style poem called the “The Play of the Wave” and read it out before the king in the assembly. The king was delighted: “He is a prince among poets!”