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A. CHAKRAVARTI :
to Mānanīkā for her conduct and restores her to the status and position befitting a princess. Finally Vāsavadattā herself arranges for her marriage with Udayana who is found to be in love with this Kāšala princess.
The fifth chapter deals with the birth of a son and heir to Udayana. After some time the queen Vāsavadattā gives brith to a son called Naravāņadatta. Even before his birth astrologers predicted of his greatness and that he would become an emperor of the Vidyādhara kingdom though born in an ordinary kşatriya family. In course of time this Naravāhana inherited from his father the Kaušāmbī and Vatsa kingdoms and from his grandfather the Vidyadhara kingdom of Ujjain. In due course his father Udayana renounces the world and becomes an ascetic devoting his time in meditation and yoga. This Udayana's renunciation forms the subject-matter of the 6th and the last chapter of this Tamil classic Peruňkathai.
Mērumandira-purāņam :- This Mērumandirapurāņam is an important Tamil classic though it is not included in the category of kävyas. It resembles in excellence of literary diction the best of kavya literature in Tamil. It is based upon a Purāņic story relating to Mēru and Mandira. The story is narrated in Mahāpurāņa as having taken place during the time of Vimala-Tīrtharkara. The author of this Mērumandirapurāņam is one Vāmana-muni who is the same as the Vāmana-muni, the commentator of Nilakesi. This Vāmana-muni lived about the time of Bukkarāya of
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