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here in a dream, and if he doe not find you, he intends to surrender his life; so let us remain here concealed, and see what he means to do."
And while they remained there in concealment, Muktáphaladhvaja entered, and worshipped the god, and came out. And when he came out, he devoutly walked round the temple three times, keeping his right hand towards it, and then he and his friend remembered their former birth, and in their joy they were telling to one another the events of their life as Vidyádharas, when Padmávatí met their view. And Muktáphaladhvaja, remembering the occurrences of his former life, as soon as he saw her, was filled with joy, and said to his friend, " Lo ! this very princess Padmávatí, the lady I saw in my dream ! and she has come here by good luck; so I will at once go and speak to her."
When he had said this, he went up to her weeping and said, " Princess, do not go away anywhere now; for I am your former lover Muktáphalaketu. I became a man by the curse of the hermit Dridhavrata, and I have now remembered my former birth." When he had said this, he tried, in his eagerness, to embrace her. But she was alarmed and made herself invisible, and remained there with her eyes full of tears: and the prince, not seeing her, fell on the ground in a swoon.
Then his friend sorrowfully spoke these words into the air, " How is it, princess Padmávatí, that, now this lover has come, for whom you suffered such severe austerities, you will not speak to him? I too am Samyataka the comrade of your beloved: why do you not say something kind to me, as I was cursed for you? " After saying this, he restored the prince, and said to him, " This punishment has come upon you as the result of the crime you committed in not accepting the Daitya princess, who offered herself to you out of love."
When Padmávatí, who was concealed, heard this, she said to her ladies- in-waiting, " Listen, he has no inclination for Asura maidens." Then her ladies said to her, " You see that all tallies together. Do you not remember that long ago, when your beloved was cursed, he craved as a boon from the hermit Tapodhana, that while he was a man, his heart might never be inclined to any one but Padmávatí. It is in virtue of that boon that he now feels no love for other women." When the princess heard this, she was bewildered with doubt.
Then Muktáphaladhvaja, who had no sooner seen his beloved, than she disappeared from his eyes, cried out, ' Ah ! my beloved Padmávatí, do you not see that when I was a Vidyádhara, I incurred a curse in Meghavana for your sake? And now be assured that I shall meet my death here."
When Padmávatí heard him utter this and other laments, she said to her ladies-in-waiting, "Though all indications seem to tally, still these two may possibly have heard these things at some time or other by communica-
