2023-02-26 04:07:33 by ambuda-bot
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SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
21
that you were a virgin daughter of a gambler from another
country, I married you in the presence of the citizens of
Ujjain and showed you to Samudradatta as my duly married
wife. He claimed you as his legal wife and sued me in a
court of law; but being unable to produce any witness, he
was defeated. Not only that. I took you to his house at
night through an underground passage and announced that he
had stolen my wife; and then, I got him banished from
the country by the king. You are a virtuous wife, but having
been defiled by my touch, you may not like to live any more.
Good Lady! You are really innocent and now you are at
liberty to go wherever you like.'
Having heard this I decided to put an end to my life and
fell into the river Gangã. As I was carried away by the
current, someone took me out of the water; and, lo! it was
none else than my beloved Samudradatta. When I looked at
his face, hung my head down for shame, and insisted
again on putting an end to my body desecrated by a foul hand.
But he prevented me from dying, and said. 'My dear, you
were under the power of a necromancer.
I know you are a
virtuous wife and your character has not suffered in the least.
(Being tormented by the sorrow of your loss, I also fell into
the river with a pot full of sand tied to my neck. Strangely
enough the pot broke and the current washed me ashore.
While I was thinking of throwing myself again into the river,
I got possession of you. Come, we shall go away from here.' 'If
you still accept me as your own', said I, 'I shall be glad to be
your slave.') We returned to my kinsmen at the island of
Kalayavana where people slowly honoured me as a lawful wife.
Later on, when my husband died, I also gave up my life. I am
here born again with latent memories of the indignities heaped
upon me by man; and the sight of this garden revived the
memories of the happy days I spent with my beloved in my
former life. Let me give up my life.'
Story of Ratnodbhava
'Saying this my mistress swooned and fell on my lap.
Just at that moment, a young man came out from within a
bower. He approached her like a loving husband, applied a
spray of cool water over her body, and, when she regained
consciousness, he said, 'My life! Don't be agitated. I was your
beloved Samudradatta. In former life, we were a pair of
21
that you were a virgin daughter of a gambler from another
country, I married you in the presence of the citizens of
Ujjain and showed you to Samudradatta as my duly married
wife. He claimed you as his legal wife and sued me in a
court of law; but being unable to produce any witness, he
was defeated. Not only that. I took you to his house at
night through an underground passage and announced that he
had stolen my wife; and then, I got him banished from
the country by the king. You are a virtuous wife, but having
been defiled by my touch, you may not like to live any more.
Good Lady! You are really innocent and now you are at
liberty to go wherever you like.'
Having heard this I decided to put an end to my life and
fell into the river Gangã. As I was carried away by the
current, someone took me out of the water; and, lo! it was
none else than my beloved Samudradatta. When I looked at
his face, hung my head down for shame, and insisted
again on putting an end to my body desecrated by a foul hand.
But he prevented me from dying, and said. 'My dear, you
were under the power of a necromancer.
I know you are a
virtuous wife and your character has not suffered in the least.
(Being tormented by the sorrow of your loss, I also fell into
the river with a pot full of sand tied to my neck. Strangely
enough the pot broke and the current washed me ashore.
While I was thinking of throwing myself again into the river,
I got possession of you. Come, we shall go away from here.' 'If
you still accept me as your own', said I, 'I shall be glad to be
your slave.') We returned to my kinsmen at the island of
Kalayavana where people slowly honoured me as a lawful wife.
Later on, when my husband died, I also gave up my life. I am
here born again with latent memories of the indignities heaped
upon me by man; and the sight of this garden revived the
memories of the happy days I spent with my beloved in my
former life. Let me give up my life.'
Story of Ratnodbhava
'Saying this my mistress swooned and fell on my lap.
Just at that moment, a young man came out from within a
bower. He approached her like a loving husband, applied a
spray of cool water over her body, and, when she regained
consciousness, he said, 'My life! Don't be agitated. I was your
beloved Samudradatta. In former life, we were a pair of