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56
nurses appointed by Indra, she gradually grew up like a flower.
CHAPTER SIX
Reincarnations of her six former friends (54-143) Acala (54-66)
Now Acala's jīva fell from Vaijayanta and became King Pratibuddhi in Saketa in Bharata. His wife, the crest-jewel of the women of all harems, was named Padmavati, like Padmā in person in beauty. Now in this city in the northeast in a Nāga-temple there were Nāga-statues that fulfilled requests. One day Queen Padmavati asked the king for permission for a procession of them and Pratibuddhi gave her his consent. After procuring flowers, et cetera, Pratibuddhi himself went with her to the temple of the chief Naga-statue on the day of the procession. Looking at the bower of flowers," the cluster of flowers, and his wife also, Pratibuddhi said to Svabuddhi, his chiefminister, "You have gone to many royal palaces on my service. Have you seen such a jewel of a woman or such a cluster of flowers?"
Svabuddhi replied: "When I went to King Kumbha at your command, I saw his daughter Malli. On the birthday of her, first among woman-jewels, a cluster of flowers, such as is not found in heaven, was prepared. A cakrin's woman-jewel; Rati, the wife of Smara; goddesses, Śaci, et cetera, are like straw compared with her. Whoever has once seen the daughter of King Kumbha, would not forget her beauty like a taste of nectar. No woman, neither of mortals nor gods, is the equal of Malli. Indeed, her unique beauty is not within the sphere of words."
Because of the affection of the former birth Pratibuddhi sent at once his messenger to ask for her in marriage from King Kumbha.
41 59. The puspamandapa is the flowers strung above the pratimā in the inner shrine.
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