Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/422

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was speechless, and he asked that fair one what was to be done now. Then she said decidedly, " How can I return to that spiritless avaricious man, who sold me to another man without the excuse of distress?" When the king heard this, he said, " Well said," and then Arthalobha bewildered with desire, wrath, and shame, exclaimed,— " King, let him and me fight with our own retainers, without any auxiliary forces; then let it be seen who is spirited and who is spiritless." When Sukhadhana heard this, he said— " Then let us fight in single combat, what need is there of retainers? Mánapará shall be the prize of the victor." When the king heard this, he said, " Good ! so let it be !" Then, before the eyes of Mánapará and the king, they both entered the lists mounted. And in the course of the combat, Sukhadhana laid Arthalobha on the plain, by his horse's rearing on account of a lance-wound. Then Arthalobha fell three times more on the earth, on account of his horse being killed, but Sukhadhana, who was a fair fighter, restrained himself and would not slay him. But the fifth time Arthalobha's horse fell upon him, and bruised him, and he was carried off by his servants motionless. Then Sukhadhana was cheered by all the spectators with shouts of applause, and the king Báhubala honoured him as he deserved. And he immediately bestowed a gift of honour upon the lady, and he confiscated the property of Arthalobha, which had been acquired by unlawful means; and appointing another to his office, he departed pleased to his palace. For good men derive satisfaction from breaking off their connection with the bad. And Sukhadhana, having maintained his claim by force, remained enjoying himself in the society of Mánapará his loving wife.

" Thus wives and wealth leave the mean-spirited man, and of their own accord come to the high-spirited man from every quarter. So dismiss anxiety ! Go to sleep ! in a short time, my lord, you will obtain that princess Karpúriká." When Naraváhanadatta heard that sound advice of Rajyadhara's, he and Gomukha went off to sleep.

And in the morning, while the prince was waiting awhile after his meal, the wise Gomukha addressed Rájyadhara as follows: " Make such an ingenious chariot for my master, as that he shall be able by means of it to reach the city of Karpúrasambhava, and obtain his beloved." When thus supplicated, that carpenter offered Naraváhanadatta the chariot with a pneumatic contrivance, that he had made before. He ascended that sky-travelling chariot, swift as thought, together with Gomukha, and crossed the deep, the home of monsters, that agitated its waves as if exulting to behold his valour, and reached the city of Karpúrasambhava on its shore. There the chariot descended from the sky, and he and Gomukha left it, and out of curiosity wandered about inside the town. And by questioning the people he found out that he had indeed without doubt reached tho