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38
AVANTISUNDARI KATHĀ SĀRA
prince, and as they took leave of him, he too set out in
search of his friends and reached the city of Ujjain.
(Av Sāra V. 150-61)
CHAPTER VI
At Ujjain Rāja vāhana saw: a man strolling outside the city,
and coming nearer recognised him to be Pusṣpodbhava. He
was rejoiced at the unexpected meeting with his friend and
made enquiries about their other companions. Pusṣpodbhava
said that all of them were well; and, taking the prince to a
lonely place narrated his adventures:
"Prince, we were very sad at your strange disappearance
in the Vindhya forest. We thought you had entered the cave;
and, as there might be more than one way to come out of the
cave we posted Devarakṣita to watch the entrance, and the
others of us set out in search of you in the different directions.
We had an understanding that all of us should meet in the city
of Champaā at the end of the year. I went along the western
slope of the Vindhya mountains and there saw a man falling
from a precipice. Moved with pity, I caught him in my arms
and restoring him to consciousness, asked him who he was
and why he wished to kill himself. He said he had lost his
beloved and the pangs of separation had goaded him to kill
himself; and in justification of his action he cited the instance
of Aja and Ruru. When I heard of his woes, I felt an un-
conscious affection towards him as if he was my own father.
At this moment an old woman ran to us and asked us to save
the life of an young woman who was about to cast herself
into burning fire at a little distance. We rushed to the
spot, dragged the woman out of the fire and placed
her in a cool shade. Then the man whose life I had just
saved looked at her intensely and exclaimed.. 'Here is: my beloved
Suvratā.' They recognised each other and were in an ecstatic
joy.
(Av. Sāra VI. 1-20)
'Then the man said, 'Good friend, your exertion in
saving my life has not been in vain. Please listen to my story.
I am Ratnodbhava, son of Padmodbhava, the merchant prince
of the Flower City. Sailing in a trade-ship, I was
shipwrecked on an island.
There I married this lady, my
prince, and as they took leave of him, he too set out in
search of his friends and reached the city of Ujjain.
(Av Sāra V. 150-61)
CHAPTER VI
At Ujjain Rāja
and coming nearer recognised him to be Pu
was rejoiced at the unexpected meeting with his friend and
made enquiries about their other companions. Pu
said that all of them were well; and, taking the prince to a
lonely place narrated his adventures:
"Prince, we were very sad at your strange disappearance
in the Vindhya forest. We thought you had entered the cave;
and, as there might be more than one way to come out of the
cave we posted Devarakṣita to watch the entrance, and the
others of us set out in search of you in the different directions.
We had an understanding that all of us should meet in the city
of Champ
slope of the Vindhya mountains and there saw a man falling
from a precipice. Moved with pity, I caught him in my arms
and restoring him to consciousness, asked him who he was
and why he wished to kill himself. He said he had lost his
beloved and the pangs of separation had goaded him to kill
himself; and in justification of his action he cited the instance
of Aja and Ruru. When I heard of his woes, I felt an un-
conscious affection towards him as if he was my own father.
At this moment an old woman ran to us and asked us to save
the life of an young woman who was about to cast herself
into burning fire at a little distance. We rushed to the
spot, dragged the woman out of the fire and placed
her in a cool shade. Then the man whose life I had just
saved looked at her intensely and exclaimed.
Suvratā.' They recognised each other and were in an ecstatic
joy.
(Av. Sāra VI. 1-20)
'Then the man said, 'Good friend, your exertion in
saving my life has not been in vain. Please listen to my story.
I am Ratnodbhava, son of Padmodbhava, the merchant prince
of the Flower City. Sailing in a trade-ship, I was
shipwrecked on an island.