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give my daughter Varunasená to Súryaprabha.' So grant this request of my brother's." When Rambha made this request, Chandraprabha granted it, and sent Prahasta and had Varunasená brought quickly from the city of Śakala to her father Kumbhíra. And the next day, he and Súryaprabha and Rambha, and Vírabhata and all, with their attendants, went to the city of Kánchí. And after they had been met by Kumbhíra, they entered the city of Kánchí, as it were the girdle of the earth, full of many jewels and adorned with excellences.*[1] There Kumbhíra bestowed his daughter on Súryaprabha with the usual ceremonies, and gave much wealth to the young couple.
And when the marriage had taken place, Prahasta, after taking food, said to Chandraprabha, who was all joyfulness, in the presence of all, " King, in the country of Śrikantha I had an interview with the king of that land; there king Kántisena whom I thus happened to see, said to me— ' Let Súryaprabha come to my house with that daughter of mine, whom he has carried off, I will perform the ceremony for him according to rule. If he refuses, I will abandon the body, distracted by love for my daughter.' This is what he then said to me, and I have now mentioned it on the proper occasion." When Prahasta said this, king Chandraprabha answered, " Go then, take Kántimatí to him, we will go there also." When the king said this to him, Prahasta went off that moment through the air, and did as he had commanded. And next morning Chandraprabha and all, with Kumbhíra, went to the land of Śrikantha in the air-travelling chariot. There king Kántisena came to meet them, and making them enter his palace, performed the auspicious ceremony of his daughter's marriage. Then he gave to Kántimatí and Súryaprabha an endless quantity of jewels, which excited the wonder of the kings.
While they were all remaining there, enjoying all kinds of pleasures, a messenger came from Kauśámbí and said— " King Janamejaya sends this message to your honours, ' My daughter, of the name of Parapushtá. has been carried off by some one lately. And I have found out today, that she has come into the power of Súryaprabha, so let him come with her to my house without fear. I will perform the marriage ceremony according to rule, and so dismiss him with his wife, otherwise you will be my enemies, and I shall be yours.' " Having thus delivered his master's message, the ambassador remained silent : then king Chandraprabha said to them apart— " How can we go to the house of that king who sends such haughty messages?" When the king's minister named Siddhártha heard that, he said, " Do not entertain wrong notions, king, for he is justified in
- ↑ * Kánchímeans girdle, guna excellence and thread. The last clause might be translated -made of threads.
