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JAINA LITERATURE IN TAMIL
Udayana, who wins the heart of Vāsavadattā, manages to run away from the capital carrying Vasavadattā with him on the back of the clephant Nalagiri. Thus ends the first chapter called Uñjaik-kāṇḍam narrating the adventures of Udayana in the city of Ujjain.
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The next chapter is called Lāvāṇak-kāṇḍam because it pertains to the incidents in Udayana's life in the city of Lāvāņa, one of the cities in his own kingdom. Here he marries Vasavadatta and makes her his queen. In his attachment to his beautiful wife, he forgets and completely neglects his duties as a king. This is not liked by his friends who realise there is much to do yet; because, during the absence of Udayana as a prisoner in Ujjain, his kingdom had been captured by the ruler of Pañcāla who was not friendly disposed towards the kingdom of Kausāmbi. Hence Yugi arranges to separate Vasavadatta from her husband Udayana. By a clever trick he makes Udayana believe that his whole palace is burnt to ashes and the queen Vasavadatta is also burnt to death. Before setting fire to the palace Vasavadattā with her attendant is taken away through an underground passage to a safe place where they are kept in concealment. These are some of the important items of Udayana's life narrated in the second chapter.
The third chapter Magadhak-kāṇḍam deals with Udayana's adventures in Magadha-deśa. Udayana was very much dejected because of the loss of the queen Vāsavadattā, and goes to Rajagṛha, the capital of Magadha, for the purpose of winning back the
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