अवन्तिसुन्दरीकथासारः /65

ASUMMARY OF CONTENTS.
 
47
 

 
Somadatta having finished his story, the prince paid his

respects to the minister and his son Mānapaāla. Then they all

proceeded to Pusṣpodbhava's house, followed by Somadatta who

had recovered from his illness. Puşṣpodbhava's mother seeing

Vidyeśvara exclaimed with joy, 'How fortunate am I to see

this man here! It was he who saved me when I was dying in

the Kalinṅga forest.' They were all in a flutter of joy at

their happy reunion.
 

 
(Av. Sāra VII. 44-51)
 

 
The next day Pusṣpodbhava took Vidyeśvara and Somadatta

to a lonely place and told them how Sāmba and Yajñavatī

were born as prince Rāja vāhana and the princess of Avanti

by the curse of the sage Jaritāri, how they met in the royal

garden with the memory of their former life and how they

had been pining for each other. "The Prince," added

Pusṣpodbhava, "does not like to marry her without the consent
of her parents and much less to carry her away in their

of her parents and much less to carry her away in their
absence. But the condition of the prince admits of no delay.

I have a plan which fits in with the purpose in hand. I pro-

pose that some one of us skilled in magic should exhibit

some miracles before Mānasāra and dazzle him with wonders.

Then the marriage should be celebrated between the royal

prince and the princess in the world of magic. When the

function, concealed partly by the veil of magic, is concluded,

the secret will, of course, be, out and a crisis will develop.

But the prince will be in safe hands and the princess herself

will come forward to save him."
 

 
(Av. Sāra VII. 52-56)
 

 
This proposal was approved by Somadatta and Vidyeś-

vara; and, as may be expected, the task devolved upon the

latter. Meanwhile Puşṣpodbhava informed the princess of

the plan through his wife. Next day, Vidyeśvara went to

the court of Mänasäānasāra and introduced himself as a magician

well versed in his art and requested an audience for the display
of his skill.
of his s Permission being given, the magician waved
his magic wand of peacockill feathers when there appeared
many snakes and then birds that devoured <error>then</error>. Permission. After
exhibeiting many items of magivenc to the astonished
spectators, the magician waved.
his maaddressed the kingic wand of peac with a view to
uniting his daughter in wedlock feathers when there appeared.
many snakes and then birds that devoured then. After
with the exhibitcellent match in
hand: 'Your Majesty! King many items of magic to the astonished
spectators, the magician addressed the king with a view to
uniting his daughter in wedlock with the excellent match in
hand: Your MRajesty! King. Rajahamsa whom you defeated
 
:
 
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ahaṁsa whom you defeated