Then Vikramâditja answered him, “I am Vikramâditja, son of Gandharva. When he died, my mother carried me, being an infant of days, far away for fear of the Schimnus. But now that I have grown to man’s estate, I am come together with my younger brother to see after the state of my father’s kingdom.”
Galischa then said, “It is well for thee that Heaven preserved thee from coming before, otherwise thou mightest have had all the travail which has fallen upon me; nevertheless, as I came first, I am in possession. But I have every day in sorrow and agony to send a tribute of one hundred subjects, with a nobleman at their head, to be devoured by the Schimnus.”
“This have I learnt,” replied Vikramâditja, “and it is even on that account that I am here. For have I not seen the grief of a mother mourning over her son, and it is to take his place, and to go in his stead, that I came hither to thee.”
And Galischa said, “How canst thou, youth that thou art, defy all the might of the Schimnus, doubt not now but that they will devour thee before thou art aware.”
“Then,” replied the magnanimous prince, “if I do not prevail against the Schimnus, this I shall gain, that because I have given my life for another, I shall in my next birth rise to a higher place[10] than at present.”
“If that is thy mind,” replied the King, “then do even as thou hast said.”
So Vikramâditja went out with the tribute of blood, and sent back the youth whom he had come to replace, to his mother.
When the King saw him go forth with firm step, and as it were dancing with joy over his undertaking, he said, “There is one case in which he might turn out to be our deliverer; but if that case does not befall, then will he but have come to swell the number of victims of the Schimnus. Let us, however, all wait here together through the day, to see what may befall.”
Vikramâditja and his companions meantime arrived at Gandharva’s palace; and Vikramâditja, as if he had known the place all his life, went straight up to the throne-room, where was the great and dazzling Sinhâsana[11]. Ascending it, therefore, he sat himself in it, and, while his tears flowed down, he cried, “Oh for the days of my father, the immortal Gandharva; for he reigned gloriously! But since he hath entered Nirvâna we have had nothing but weariness. What would my father have said had he seen his subjects made by hundreds at a time food for the Schimnus? Schimnus, beware! lest I destroy your whole race from off the face of the earth.”
Thus spoke Vikramâditja, till, inspired by his royal courage, he had sent all the hundred victims of this tribute back to their homes, defying the anger of the Schimnus. But to the King he sent word, “The Schimnus of whom thou standest in mortal dread will I curb and tame. Meantime, let there be four hundred vessels of brandy prepared.” And the King did as he said, and sent and put out four hundred vessels filled with strong brandy in the way.