Siṁhāsana Dvātriṁśikā
(The Thirty-Two Tales of the Throne)
This is one of those stories that looks like folklore on the surface, but is actually a manual of kingship, Dharma, and inner fitness to rule.
When King Bhoja of Dhāra (often linked in tradition with Vikramāditya’s legacy) discovers an ancient, buried throne meant for Vikramāditya, he prepares to ascend it.
The throne has 32 steps, and on each step sits a female figure (vetāla-kanyā or apsarā-like idol).
Each idol comes to life and asks Bhoja a question or narrates a story from the life of Vikramāditya, ending with:
“If you can act as Vikramāditya did in this situation, then you are worthy to step upon me.”
Bhoja listens… and falls silent.
He realizes:
“I can admire him, but I cannot equal him.”
Thus the throne refuses him.
Symbolic meanings traditionally associated with 32:
• 32 royal virtues (rāja-lakṣaṇas)
• 32 bodily marks of an ideal king (echoing the Mahāpuruṣa concept)
• 32 facets of Dharma in governance
• 32 trials of ego-lessness
Each step represents one inner conquest, not an outer achievement.
Each idol tests one specific quality of Vikramāditya:
Step Quality Tested
1 Truthfulness even at personal loss
2 Charity without expectation
3 Justice beyond favoritism
4 Courage without cruelty
5 Compassion without weakness
6 Humility despite greatness
… …
32 Total surrender of ego
Not once is he praised for conquest.
He is praised for self-mastery.
This is why this tale has survived centuries:
Kingship is not inherited. It is earned inwardly.
The throne is alive, because Dharma itself is alive.
You cannot sit on Dharma.
You can only rise to it.
Why Bhoja Could Not Sit
King Bhoja was wise, learned, accomplished.
But the stories demand something more frightening:
“Would you give up your reputation to save a stranger?”
“Would you punish your own son?”
“Would you choose anonymity over glory?”
Bhoja bows in reverence and says (in spirit):
“That age has passed.”
And the throne sinks back into the earth.
In a quiet way, the tale asks each listener:
“Before you claim a higher seat — in life, family, learning, or leadership — have you climbed the steps inwardly?”
This is why elders narrate this story to children and rulers alike.
STEP ONE – The Test of Truth over Life
An idol speaks:
“O King Bhoja, listen.
Once a poor Brahmin came to Vikramāditya, terrified.
He had been falsely accused of theft and was to be executed at dawn.”
The Brahmin pleaded:
“I swear by Dharma, I am innocent.”
Vikramāditya investigated and discovered the truth
the real thief was the king’s own treasury officer, a trusted man.
If exposed, the kingdom would panic.
If hidden, an innocent would die.
Vikramāditya announced:
“The Brahmin is guilty.”
That night, he released the Brahmin secretly, and walked himself to the execution ground at dawn, declaring:
“I am the thief. I accept the punishment.”
Only then did the truth emerge publicly.
The idol asks Bhoja:
“Can you sacrifice your crown, reputation, and life
so that Dharma alone may stand?”
Bhoja lowers his head.
STEP SEVEN – The Test of Compassion without Attachment
The idol narrates:
A woman once came to Vikramāditya carrying a dead child.
She said:
“You are called the protector of the helpless.
If my child cannot live, then let no other child in your kingdom live.”
The court was stunned.
Instead of anger, Vikramāditya asked:
“Tell me—what happened?”
The child had died of hunger during a famine.
The king realized the failure was his.
He ordered that his own palace granaries be emptied first, before any temple or noble house received food.
Then he said to the woman:
“If your grief remains unhealed, take my son’s life.”
The woman broke down and said:
“A king who feels my pain is my child returned.”
The idol asks Bhoja:
“Can you accept blame for suffering you did not directly cause,
and still act as if it were your own fault?”
Silence.
STEP FIFTEEN – The Test of Ego
Vikramāditya once travelled incognito.
At a village well, a poor potter refused him water, saying:
“This well is for kings only.”
Vikramāditya laughed, bowed, and walked away thirsty.
When the villagers later discovered his identity and begged forgiveness, he said:
“Had you known who I was, your act would have been obedience, not truth.”
The idol asks...
“Can you bear insult gladly, knowing your worth?”
Each step ends with a question like:
“If placed in this situation, could you do the same?”
the 32 virtues tested:
1. Truth above life
2. Charity without witness
3. Justice without fear
4. Courage without cruelty
5. Compassion without weakness
6. Forgiveness without forgetfulness
7. Responsibility for others’ suffering
8. Humility amid praise
9. Silence when speech brings fame
10. Speech when silence brings safety
11. Detachment from wealth
12. Loyalty to Dharma over kin
13. Punishing one’s own son
14. Protecting one’s enemy
15. Absence of ego
16. Patience under insult
17. Restraint amid power
18. Control over desire
19. Equal vision toward all subjects
20. Gratitude to the lowly
21. Reverence for the learned
22. Fearlessness before death
23. Renunciation of victory
24. Mercy in punishment
25. Firmness in vows
26. Readiness to be anonymous
27. Endurance of loneliness
28. Refusal of unjust gain
29. Ability to admit fault
30. Protection of the weak
31. Stability in adversity
32. Complete surrender of “I”
Why No One Can Sit on the Throne
The final idol says:
“This throne is not for ruling others.
It is for one who has ruled himself.”
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