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## Chapter Thirty-Four
**527**
Just as the fragrance of a lotus cannot overcome the stench of mud, so too, the fame of Chandrabha, blooming in the company of the moon, cannot be overshadowed by the slanderous mud of gossip. ||169||
Though wise and proud, King Madhu, blinded by passion, decided to abduct Chandrabha. He firmly resolved to take her. ||170||
Having subdued the rebellious Bhimaka, the successful Madhu returned to Ayodhya. His heart captivated by Chandrabha, he swiftly summoned all his vassals, along with their wives, to his city. ||171||
He honored them all, adorned in various garments and ornaments, and then, with faces beaming with grace, dismissed them to their homes. ||172||
He then paid great respect to Veerasen, the king of Vatapura, and his wife Chandrabha, and, with feigned joy, sent them back to their own abode. ||173||
"The appropriate ornaments for Chandrabha are not yet ready," he said, "I will send them when they are finished." The naive Veerasen departed, leaving Chandrabha behind. Madhu then seized her and made her his own. ||174||
He bestowed upon her the title of Mahadevi, making her the queen of all women, and indulged in her company as he pleased. ||175||
Meanwhile, Chandrabha's former husband, consumed by the fire of separation, was driven to utter madness, wandering restlessly across the earth. ||177||
One day, he was wandering through the city streets, lamenting, "Chandrabha, Chandrabha," his clothes dusty and his heart heavy, when Chandrabha, standing on the palace balcony, saw him. ||178||
Compassion filled her heart. She turned to King Madhu, who was sitting nearby, and said, "My lord, look at my former husband, wandering about in such a state of despair." ||179||
At that moment, some cruel officials apprehended a man who had been caught with another man's wife and brought him before King Madhu, the dispenser of justice. "Your Majesty," they said, "what punishment should be meted out to this man?" ||180||
"This criminal," replied Madhu, "is a great sinner. Therefore, his hands and feet..." ||181||