अवन्तिसुन्दरीकथासारः /29

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
 
11
 

 
cried for mounting the elephant. Without any forethought, I
placed him on the head of the animal and when our army was

placed him on the head of the animal and when our army was
destroyed and the elephant killed, the child fell down on the

ground and I got bewildered. Fortunately he is not hurt.'
 

 
"When the woman finished her tale, I clasped the child to

my bosom. Then our chief returned after destroying the king;

and seeing the child in my hands, he asked me to take him on

horseback to Vindhyasenā." The king and the queen fainted

with sorrow when they heard that their friend was no more;

but the old man consoled them saying that he was safe. The

king accepted the child and called him Apahāra because

of his captivating appearance.
 

 
(Av. Sāra III. 78-93; Av. pp. 171-73; end lost)

 
Story of Upahāravarman
 

 
Presently there came a sage carrying a child in his arm

with striking resemblance to Apahāra and addressed the king

as follows: "I made a pilgrimage to the holy Ganga and when
ṅgā and when
returning through a forest, I happened to take rest at noon in

a village which was a haunt of wild beasts and inhabited by a

few bewildered people. On the shade of a caitya tree sat an

old man mad in appearance and covered with itches all over

the body. From him I learnt that the village was afflicted by

epidemics and that the inhabitants were taking all sorts of

remedial measures. Not far from the village I saw an old

woman bleeding from wounds just inflicted on her body.

When I asked her what reduced her to that miserable state,

she said, in brief: 'Sir, I belong to the household of the king

of Videha. When our master was passing through the

Vindhya forest he was attacked by hunters. I slipped from the
main body and wandered in the forest day and night carrying

main body and wandered in the forest day and night carrying
the child of the king. When I lay down to rest my wearied

limbs a tiger mauled me, and crouched for a spring on the child;

but it fell into a trap set by hunters and was killed. The

hunters have carried away the tiger and also the child. Kindly
rescue the prince from the hands of death.

rescue the prince from the hands of death. I do not know
what happened to the elder baby whom my daughter carried.'

(Av. Sāra III. 94-106; Av. portion lost)
 
I do not know
 

 
 
"Hearing this, I started at once in search of the

child. When I proceeded a little further, I found a group of

Kiraātas who were on the point of making a present of the

child to the Goddess Vindhyavāsinī and holding discussion as
him.
to the best way of putting an end to
 

to the best way of putting an end to him. I went to