________________
love-letter was accidently found by Mañjiraka, one of the companions of the prince. The prince, on a request from his friends, gives an appreciation of the love-letter, which, as he reveals, is meant to serve a dual purpose, the one of informing the lover as to the place of rendezvous for secret marriage and the other of misleading the messenger and the parents by conveying an apparent warning about the serious eschatological consequences. At this, Samaraketu is deeply touched, as the letter serves to make him remember the past associations with his own beloved. This introduces us to the account of Samaraketu.
Verses 23 to 29 take us to the Simbala country where king Candraketu, the father of Samaraketu, has been ruling from his capital city of Rangaśālā. Samaraketu, being put by his father into the command of a naval expedition against the restive feudatories of distant islands, starts for the sea-shore, where he happens to see Taraka, a chief of the sailors.
Verses 30 to 37 narrate how Tāraka, though a son of a merchant (vaņik) happened to fall in love with, and marry, Priyadarśanā, the daughter of a sailor and how being ashamed of returning home, he took to, and excelled in, the sailor's profession.
Verses 58 to 83 describe the naval expedition of prince Samaraketu, who, after vanquishing the defaulting feudatories, arrive at the island Ratnakūța, where they suddenly listen to a strange music. Samaraketu and Tāraka started in a boat in pursuit of the source of the music and Teached the island, but by that time to their utter disappointment the music suddenly stopped and they passed the night in the boat on high sea
Verses 84 to 90 narrate how the next morning they searched unsuccessfully for an entrance into the castle wall on the island, but happened to notice a temple on it. Then they saw on the castle wall a beautiful damsel accompanied by many girls.
Verses 91 to 138 abruptly cut short the narrative of Samaraketu and introduce the incident of a portrait of a celestial damsel. The portrait had been done by Gandharvaka, who asked prince Harivāhana to examine it. The latter pointed out to a flaw as regards the absence of a male figure among the group of ladies in the portrait. Gandharvaka, however, while justifying the omission as deliberate, revealed to the prince that it was a portrait of a Vidyadhara princess Tilakamañjari, the daughter of the Vidyadhara king Cakrasena, and that due to some unktown reasons she spurned the company of the males. Prince Harivāhana instantly fell in love with the lady in the portrait. Excusing himself that he was charged with an errand from Patralekbā, to her father Vicitravirya, the Vidyādhara king at Mount Suvela, to send the divine aero
Jain Education International 2010_05
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org