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The Seventy-Seventh Chapter
355
The gatekeeper, having been forbidden to let you out, stood there. Fearing disgrace, he did not tell you of the victory of Samudravijaya and the others. || 240 || "Vasudeva, having gone away under the pretense of acquiring knowledge, has fallen into the great fire in the cremation ground and perished." || 241 || Having written this letter, he tied it around the neck of the horse and released it. || 242 || He circumambulated the burning pyre and then quickly left by an unseen path that very night. || 243 ||
Then, at sunrise, the chief of the guards, not seeing the prince in the royal palace, informed the king. Following the king's orders, they searched for him with many others. || 244 || They found the cremated body and the horse wandering nearby. || 245 || Taking the letter from the horse's neck, they presented it to the king. Hearing the contents of the letter, Samudravijaya and the other kings were deeply grieved. But the astrologer, knowing the auspiciousness and well-being of Vasudeva, calmed them down. || 246-247 || Out of affection, the king immediately sent many skilled and enthusiastic servants to search for him. || 248 ||
Having gone to the city of Vijayapura, Vasudeva, the great tree of sorrow, rested under the shade of an Ashoka tree. || 249 || Seeing this, the gardener realized that the astrologer's words were true. He informed the king of Magadha, who then offered his daughter, Shyamala, to Vasudeva. || 250 || After resting there for a few days, Vasudeva left. He reached the Pushparamya lake of lotuses in the Deodar forest and played with a wild elephant. || 252 ||