अवन्तिसुन्दरीकथासारः /69

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
 
51
 

 
thought that I have deserted the faith of my forefathers and

have descended to the path of the heretics rends my heart;

and I find relief only in shedding tears.' I consoled him

saying that I would find a way by which the courtezan restored

to him all his wealth.
 

 
(Av. Sāra VIII. 34-41)
 

 
"Entering the city I went to the gamblers' quarters

and in one sitting won a fortune and a friend too in Vimar-

daka, the keeper of gambling house. I learnt that the city

was full of wealthy but greedy men; I resolved to teach

them the right path by robbing them of their possessions.

One night I burgled the house of a rich merchant and on the

way back met a young girl who was alone. When I asked her

who she was, she said: 'Sir, I am the daughter of Kubera-

datta and I was promised from infancy to one Dhanamitra.

But he gave away all his wealth to the poor in charity and now

my father proposes to give me in marriage to another,

Arthapati, tomorrow. To escape this, I am now on my way

to Dhanamitra, my lover.' Moved with pity, I offered to

take her to her destination, and escaping a squad of police,

reached Dhanamitra and said: 'I am a thief. I found this

girl alone with her heart fixed on you and have escorted her

to you.' He was full of gratitude and said that he would

leave the city with her the same night. I advised him to

return her to her father, wait for a month and then marry

her duly. Then we three went to Kuberadatta's house, left

the girl there, and with her aid, robbed that house also of all

its valuables. On our way back, we mounted an elephant,

destroyed Arthapati's house and slept the rest of the night.

(Av. Sāra VIII. 41-55)
 

 
"Next morning, we heard that Kuberadatta had post-

poned the marriage of his daughter for a month. Then I

instructed Dhanamitra in secret as follows: 'Approach the

King with this leather bag and tell him : 'Your

Majesty! King with this leather ubag and
Maeradatta promised to give me his daughter,
but now, owing to my poverty, plans to give her to Arthapati.
In despair, I was about to kill myself in an old garden, when
an ascetic gave me this bag saying that it would be full of
gold every morning if properly worshipped by a merchant
or a courtezan. The ascetic also laid down that the
worshipper should at the outset return to the owner whatever
he had unjesty! Kuustly oberadatta promised totained and give me his daughter,
but now, owing to my poverty, plans to give her to Arthapati.
In despair, I was about to kill myself in an old garden, when
an ascetic gave me this bag saying that it would be full of
gold every morning if properly worshipped by a merchant
The ascetic also laid down that the
worshipper should at the outset return to the owner whatever
he had unjustly obtained and give away to Brahmans
 
or a courtezan.
 
"