चिरदाता

{ ciradātā }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

CIRADĀTĀ   There was a king called Ciradātā in the country called Cirapura. Though himself a good man he was surrounded by bad advisers. Once a foreigner, Prasaṅga, came along with two friends to the palace to see the King. But due to the bad advice of his courtiers the King did not care to see them even. For five years they stayed there without even getting a look at the King. One day the only son of the King died. All the courtiers gathered round the child and pretended to be greatly grieved. Prasaṅga and his friends also came to the scene. They saw the king and spoke to him thus: “For five years you have not cared either to see or talk to us. We were cherishing a hope that at least your son would give us a better treatment when he grew old and became King. We were living here on that hope and now that hope also has been shattered and so we are leaving the place this instant.” The King was surprised to hear that they were prepared even to wait for his son to become the King and gave them very many presents. [Taraṅga 5, Alaṅkāravatī Laṁbaka, Kathāsaritsāgara] .