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army of the Asuras, as the sun destroys the darkness, and who saved my
life?" Saying such things, she remained there full of longing, engaged in conversation about her beloved with her confidential attendants.
In the meanwhile her friend Manoháriká, travelling at full speed, reached Chandrapura, that city of the king of the Vidyádharas; which Viśvakarman made wonderful, and of unparalleled magnificence, as if dissatisfied with the city of the gods, though of that also he was the architect. There she searched for Muktáphaluketu, but could not find him, and then, riding on her bird, she went to the garden belonging to that city. She derived much pleasure from looking at that garden, the magic splendour of which was inconceivable; the trees of which were of glittering jewels, and had this peculiarity that one tree produced a great many flowers of different kinds; which was rendered charming by the blending of the notes of various birds with the sound of heavenly songs ; and which was full of many slabs of precious stone.
And then, various gardeners, in the form of birds, saw her, and came up to her, speaking with articulate voice, and addressing her kindly, and they invited her to sit down on a slab of emerald at the foot of a párijáta- tree, and when she was seated, served her with appropriate luxuries. And she received that attention gratefully, and said to herself, " Wonderful are the magic splendours of the princes of the Vidyádharas, since they possess such a garden in which enjoyments present themselves unlooked for, in which the servants are birds, and the nymphs of heaven keep up a perpetual concert." When she had said this to herself, she questioned those attendants, and at last, searching about, she found a thicket of párijáta and other trees of the kind, and in it she saw Muktáphalaketa appearing to be ill,*[1] lying on a bed of flowers sprinkled with sandal-wood juice. And she recognized him, as she had become acquainted with him in the hermitage of Gaurí, and she said to herself, " Let me see what his illness is, that he is lying here concealed."
In the meanwhile Muktáphalaketu began to say to his friend Samyataka, who was attempting to restore him with ice, and sandal-wood, and fanning, " Surely this god of love has placed hot coals in the ice for me, and in the sandal-wood juice a flame of chaff, and in the air of the fan a fire as of a burning forest, since he produces a scorching glow on every side of me, who am tortured with separation. So why, my friend, do you weary yourself in vain? In this garden, which surpasses Nandana, even the delightful songs and dances and other sports of heavenly nymphs afflict my soul. And without Padmávatí, the lotus-faced, the daughter of Pad-
- ↑ * Böhtlingk and Roth consider that sákalyaka is the true reading. One MS, certainly has y and I think probably the others.
