अवन्तिसुन्दरीकथासारः /54

36
 
AVANTISUNDARĪ KATHĀ SĀRA
 

 
chief of the Hemajața (golden haired) Kirātas (who had been

expelled by us from Svarṇapuriī, gathered Kimpuruṣas and)

attacked our camp." When the prince heard this he prepared

for an expedition against the Kimpuruṣas, which, he thought,

would give him an opportunity of seeing his beloved. In the

meanwhile a messenger from Citraratha arrived in a celestial

car with an invitation for the svayamvara of Kadambari.
ādambarī.
Candrāpīḍa and his parents got into the car and proceeded to the

camp. En route they took with them Vaiśampāyana and the

army and reached the city of the Gandharvas. At the Svyam-

vara Kādambarī put the wedding garland of celestial flowers

round the neck of Candrāpīḍa, leaving the gods and asuras

who had come to woo her, whereupon a general fight ensued.

(Av. Sāra V. 125-32; Av. pp. 243-44)
 

 
'Mahāśvetā was in love with Vaiśampāyana; and when she

heard a rumour that he was killed in the fight that followed the

svayamvara, she felt deeply distressed. Her father thought

that she was an unchaste girl and cursed her to take birth

as a Caṇḍāla woman; and at once she fell down and died.

But Vaiśampayana returned safe from the battle; seeing

Mahāśvetā lying dead, he remembered his love for her in his

former birth and died of grief. Candrāpīḍa and Kādambari
could not bear to see the disaster that had befallen their
ī
could not bear to see the disaster that had befallen their
friends and they too began to fast themselves to death. Nārada

appeared on the scene, prevented them from dying and said,

'Pundariṇḍarīka was proud of his personal beauty and the jealous

god of Love killed him, making Mahāśvetā an apparent cause.

Kapiñjala cursed the moon to be born as mortal, as he carried

away the body of Pundṇḍarīka, his friend; and the moon, in his

turn, cursed Kapiñjala to take birth as his horse. Accordingly

the moon was born as Candrāpīḍa and Kapiñjala, the horse

Indraāyudha. Pundariṇḍarīka took birth as Vaiśampāyana and he

was again killed by the god of Love while Mahāśveta was
ā was
cursed for no fault of hers. You should wait for some time;

and all will be well in the end.' Having consoled them thus

Nārada vanished.'
 

(Av. Sāra V. 136-41; Av. pp. 245; full of lacunae).[^1
]
'Candrāpīḍa and Kādambarī' continued the sage, 'are now

in sorrow. Vaiśampāyana has taken birth as a parrot and

 
[^1]. The T. S. S. edn. of Avantisundarī breaks off from about
 
here.
 

here.