This page has not been fully proofread.

49
 
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
 
camp. At this juncture a messenger arrived from Darpasāra
asking the regent to punish the offender with instantaneous
death. Candavarman at once ordered preparations to be
made for his marrying the princess of Anga on the morrow
and for the execution of Rajavāhana. His plan however fell
through. The fetters on the feet of the prince changed into
a divine nymph. She bowed before him and said: 'Lord !
I am an apsaras named Surasamañjarī born of the rays of
the moon. Once while I was flying through the air, a group
of swans fell on my face taking it for a lotus flower. In my
flurried attempts to keep off the birds, my pearl necklace broke
and fell on the head of a Brahman who was finishing his bath
in the lake Mandodaka. The angered Brahman cursed me to
change into a metal chain. I fell at his feet and he mitigated
the sentence saying that the curse would end when I had
served two months as chains on your feet and that I would
retain the power of perception all the time. I became a
chain and a Vidyadhara-ally of Darpasāra took possession
of me.
As Darpasāra had promised to give his sister in
marriage to this Vidyadhara, he one night went to see the
princess, the object of his desire. But seeing her sleeping on
your lap, he fettered your feet with me. My curse is now
over. Is there anything I can do for you?' Rājavahana
asked her to console his beloved with the news that he was
free from fetters and bid her farewell.
 
(Av. Sāra VII. 80-92)
 
Now that Rajavāhana was free, he lost no time in master-
ing the situation. He mounted the elephant that was ready for
killing him and slew his foes. Just then he saw Apahāra
coming from the inner apartment after killing Candavarman.
The whole company of friends appeared before the prince, after
setting free the Anga king for whose help they had gathered
there. They all then repaired with joy to a pleasant sand-
bank on the Gangā.
 
(Av, Sāra VII. 93-94)
 
CHAPTER VIII
 
After interchange of greetings, the prince described his
adventures as well as those of Puspodbhava and Somadatta.
He then asked the other companions to relate their stories and
Apahāravarman began his narrative.
 
7