“As he is now liked and loved by many men, he will be still more liked and loved by many men when he shall have equipped a sea-ship and have returned home. And as there will be an opportunity of his being invested with the regal power during our father’s lifetime, therefore I, too, instead of remaining here to see whose turn will come, will go to sea along with him, and will take away his life out there, and then I shall be invested with the heirship even against my father’s will.” With these thoughts in his mind he went to his father, and said to him, “O father, as Ksheman·kara is going to sea I will go with him.” His father said, “Do so.”
Now Ksheman·kara ordered proclamation to be made throughout the land as follows: “Listen, O honourable merchants inhabiting the city. As Prince Ksheman·kara is going to sea with merchandise, and as he among you who is inclined to go to sea under Prince Ksheman·kara’s guidance will be freed from tolls, taxes, and freight-money, [[281]]therefore get ready the goods which are to be taken to sea.” Many hundreds of merchants got ready goods to be taken to the sea. Then Ksheman·kara, as the leading trader, accompanied by his brother Pāpan·kara, after performing ceremonies for the sake of obtaining a successful result, surrounded by many hundreds of merchants, taking with him in waggons, carts, chests, and hampers, and on camels, oxen, and asses, quantities of goods to be transported by sea, set out on his way. Visiting lands, towns, villages, commercial emporiums, and estates, he came by degrees to the sea-coast. There he purchased a ship for five hundred kārshāpaṇas, and after making proclamation three times, set out on the ocean, taking with him five hundred servants, diggers, cleansers, fishermen, mariners, and pilots. When on board ship he said to his brother Pāpan·kara: “Should a shipwreck take place in the middle of the ocean, then throw your arms round my neck without hesitation.” Pāpan·kara replied, “Good, I will do so.”
After a time the ship arrived with a favourable wind at the Island of Jewels, and the steersman said: “Listen, O honourable merchants of Jambudvīpa! as ye have heard that the Island of Jewels is a mine of diamonds, lapis lazuli, turquoises, emeralds, and divers other precious stones, therefore have we come hither. Now then, take yourselves as many jewels as ye wish.”
They searched for them with joy and desire, and they filled the ship full, as though with rice, pease, sesame, and the like. Now, as Bodisats are wise and sharp-witted, Prince Ksheman·kara made fast to his girdle some large jewels of great value. On the way back, when not far from shore, the ship was rendered useless in consequence of an injury inflicted by a sea monster. Therefore Pāpan·kara threw his arms round the neck of Ksheman·kara, who by great exertions brought him ashore. Exhausted by the burden, Ksheman·kara fell asleep. As he lay sleeping, Pāpan·kara caught sight of the jewels fastened to his [[282]]girdle, and thought: “Ought I to return with empty hands while he comes back with such jewels?” Then he took away the jewels from his soundly sleeping brother, put both his eyes out with a thorn, and left him sightless on the ocean shore.
By a fortunate chance some oxherds who were tending their cattle came to that spot. When they saw the prince, they said, “Ho, friend, who are you?” He told them everything that had occurred. When they had heard his story they were filled with compassion, and they led him to the house of the chief herdsman. There he took to playing on the lute. The chief herdsman’s wife, who was charmed by his youth and beauty, heard the sound of his lute and tried to allure him. But he, thinking of a course of life acquired by good deeds, closed his ears and did not stir. As there is nothing which they may not do who are seized by desire, she said to her husband: “This blind man is trying to tempt me, will you put up with such people?” The prince reflected that, of all kinds of anger, the worst is the anger of a wife, and perceived that there was nothing left for him, in order not to be smitten thereby, but to go away. So he left the house, and along all manner of streets, market places, and by-roads, he gained himself a living by his music.
On the death of his father his brother, Pāpan·kara, came to the throne. And after a time he himself arrived at the town of that neighbouring king who had formerly wished to give him his daughter in marriage. She had by this time grown up, but when there came to woo her the sons of kings, ministers, and purohitas, dwelling in many lands, her father said: “O daughter, Prince Ksheman·kara, for whom I had intended you, went to sea and there died in consequence of a misfortune. As suitors have now arrived, and as those who do not obtain you will be discontented, the question arises, what is to be done?” She replied: “O father, if this be the case, let orders be given to have the city swept and garnished; I will choose a husband for myself.” [[283]]
Then the king ordered proclamation to be made in the different lands and cities that his daughter was going to choose herself a husband. He also gave orders that his own city should be cleared of stones, potsherds, and rubble, sprinkled with sandalwood water, and perfumed with odours, and that canopies, standards, and flags, should be set up, and numerous silken hangings displayed, together with flowers of many kinds, giving the appearance of a grove of the gods, and that joy-inspiring proclamation should be made to this effect: “O honourable dwellers in town and country, and crowds of men assembled from various lands, give ear! To-morrow the king’s daughter will choose herself a husband. So do ye assemble as is fitting.”
Next morning the king’s daughter, adorned with many ornaments and surrounded by numerous maidens, came to a grove made bright with flowers by the deity of the grove, rendered extremely beautiful by the dispensation of great good fortune. And when several thousand men had assembled in the midst of the city, she came into the assembly in order to choose herself a husband. Somewhat removed sat Ksheman·kara playing on the lute.
As men by their deeds are reciprocally connected, and the force of effect is constrained by the great power of cause, so it came to pass that the king’s daughter, when her feelings were moved by the sound of the lute, became closely attached to Ksheman·kara’s playing, and she threw him the crown of flowers, crying, “This man is my husband.”
The assembled people were discontented, and some of them in bitterness of heart began to find fault with her, saying, “What sense is there in this, that the royal princess, who has so much beauty, and who is so supremely young and accomplished, should slight the sons of kings, ministers, and purohitas, who have come from many lands, besides excellent householders, and should choose a blind man to be her husband?” [[284]]