Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/494

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468

cible." When she said tins, Ádityaśarman consented, and she took him off in her chariot to Alaká. And Ádityaśarman remained there, looking at her ever near him, with his suspense and douhts at an end, and performed for six months a vow as difficult as standing on the edge of a sword. Then the god of wealth, being pleased, himself gave that Sulochaná to Ádityaśarman according to a heavenly ritual. I was born as that Bráhman's son by her, and I was named Gunaśarman by my father on account of my good qualities. Then in that very place I learned in succession the Vedas, the sciences, and the accomplishments, from a prince of the Yakshas named Manidara.

Then, once upon a time, it happened that Indra came to the god of wealth, and all who sat there rose up when they saw him. But as Fate would have it, Ádityaśarman my father was at that time thinking of something else, and did not rise up in a hurry. Then Indra, being angry, cursed him, and said— " Out, fool ! go to your own world of mortals, you are out of place here." Then Sulochaná fell at his feet, and propitiated him, and Indra answered, " Then let him not go to the world of mortals himself, but let this son of his go, for one's son is said to be a second self. Let not my word have been spoken in vain." When Indra had said so much, he was satisfied. Then my father took me and deposited me in my uncle's house in Ujjayiní. For what is ordained to be a man's lot must be. There, as it happened, I struck up a friendship with the king of that place. And listen, I will tell you what happened to me there afterwards.

After saying this, he described to him what happened from the very beginning, and what Aśokavatí did, and what the king did, ending up with his tight. And he went on to say to him— " Bráhman, thus I have tied away to go to a foreign land, and on my way, as I was journeying along, I have seen you." When the Bráhman heard that, he said to Gunaśarman— " And thus I have become fortunate by your visit, my lord. So now come to my house, and know that I am Agnidatta by name, and this village is my grant from the king; be at ease here." After saying this, Agnidatta made Gunaśarman enter his splendid mansion, in which were many cows, buffaloes, and horses. There he honoured that guest with bath and unguents, and robes and ornaments, and with various kinds of food. And he shewed him his daughter, Sundarí by name, whose beauty was to be desired even by the gods, on the pretence of getting him to inspect her marks. And Gunaśarman, for his part, seeing that she was unsurpassed in beauty, said " She will have rival wives. She has a mole on her nose, and consequently I assert that she must have a second one on her breast; and men say that such is the result of spots in these two localities." When he said this, her brother, by command of her father, uncovered her breast, and beheld there a mole.