अवन्तिसुन्दरीकथासारः /53

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
 
35
 

 
of the sage Jābāli. The sage looked at me with a smile

and said: 'King Täārāpīḍa of Avanti had a son named

Candrāpīḍa. The minister SŚukanāsa had a son of the name of

Vaiśampāyana. Candrāpīḍa and Vaiśampāyana studied together

in a gurukula outside the city and became proficient in all

sciences. When the prince was sixteen years old the king

anointed him crown-prince and presented him with a horse

called Indraāyudha. The prince started for the conquest of

regions with an army with Vaiśampāyana at the head. At the

foot of the Himaālayas Candrāpīḍa encamped the army; and

hearing the music of a pair of Kinnaras he pursued them on

his horse leaving his followers far behind. He met a heavenly

nymph named Mahāśvetā on the shore of the lake Achhoda.

She received him kindly; and, on being asked to tell her story,

she sighed deeply and said: 'I am the daughter of the king of

the Gandharvas and my name is Mahāśvetā. I cherished love

for a young Brahman of the name of Pundariṇḍarīka, and he also

loved me deeply. At the rising of the moon he became

desperately sick with love and gave up his life. When I

could do nothing but weep and wail over the lifeless form

of my lover, a man descended from the orb of the moon, and

taking his body flew up into the sky saying that I would later

be reunited with my lover. Soon after Kapiñjala, the friend

of my lover, pursued the man from the moon and I was left in

heavy affliction.
 

 
(Av. Sāra V. 112-24; Av. pp. 243; full of lacune)
 

 
'Prince Candrāpīḍa consoled her with words of encourage-

ment; and she took him to her friend Kādambariī, daughter of

Citraratha, another Gandharva chief. Love sprang up

between the prince and Kādambarī at first sight. The next
day the prince returned to his camp where he received the

day the prince returned to his camp where he received the
summons from his father to return. He left the camp imme-

diately, leaving Patralekhā, his maid-in-wait, with Kādambarī.

After a few days, Patralekhā returned and told him that

Kādambarī was pining for love of him. He swooned

to hear the state of love of Kādambarī and became anxious

to see her. At that time, a messenger (Manojava) came

from the camp and said: "(Prince! Vaiśampāyana, having sent

Patralekhaā in advance with Meghanāda thought of return-

ing to the capital with the army. On the eve of leaving the

camp, he offered worship to the god Hara in the shrine near

the hermitage of Mahāśvetā and suddenly fell ill.) Then the