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________________ Tradition of the Vaisali Region 209 Daksinapatba (a country of military fame), were previously enamoured of her. They conspired to attempt to release her from Dama, so that the might belong to him of the two, whom she then chose, -or, in case she chose none of them, -to bim, by forcible capture, who kills Dama. They came up to Sumana as she was standing beside Dama (waiting to be formally married), and sieze d her person-whereupon the assemblage divided into two hostile camps, some remaining neutral. Dama addressed an appeal to all of them on the propriety of this act, but all kept silent; then the bride's father King Caru-karman (-dharman), made his appeal for guidance as to the steps to be taken in law. Some kings gave the ruling that ksatriya marriage is based on love, or choice of the bride, and so Dama is Sumapa's rightful husband, and the others are acting licentiously; other kings held that, apart from the 'gan dharva' and 'svyamvara' forms, there is another ksatriya approved form,-namely the 'raksasa'. based on force of arms,--which has been preferred by Mahanada, Vapusmat, and their adherents. The counter-argument put forward was that after self-choice a girl becomes a wife, is no longer a virgin or maiden under her father, and hence the 'raksasa' form does not apply, and if force is used, it would be criminal. Thereupon Dama (thus supported) declared he is fighting for his married wife, and challenged all: after a strenuous fight, Mabanada was killed by Dama; and Vapusmat also swooned, struck by him, and so Dama did not kill him. He thus recovered Suman, and married her formally at the Dasarna court, where he remained for some time, and then returned to his capital (Was the capital still at Vaisali, or had Dusyanta removed it to Pratistbana or Hastinapura ?)--with his hardwon wife and numerous rich presents and equipments, and reported himself and her) to Nrsyanta and Indrasena, and there were great festivities in the capital. When Sumana's first child was born, Nfsyanta and Indrasena retired together to an asrama for 'vanaprastha', anointing Dama as emperor. Some time afterwards, Samkrandana's evil-minded son, Vapusmat of Daksinapatha, chanced in the course of a hunt (with an army and followers etc.), to come upon Ntsyanta and Indrasena in their asrama retreat and, before proceeding further, wanted to verify their identity. As Nosyanta was then under a vow of silence, Indrasena gave the questioner their names and adddresses unsuspectingly, whereupon Vapusmat (violating all asrama rules) pounced upon Nosyanta in the very sight of the asrama inmates, beheaded the unresisting ex-monarch, yelling that he had done so in revenge of defeat by Dama and the carrying away of Sumana by him, while the 'muni's of the asrama cursed him, and Indrasena bewailed her lot. When Vapusmat left for his capital, Indrasena 27
| SR No. | 012088 |
| Book Title | Vaishali Abhinandan Granth |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Yogendra Mishra |
| Publisher | Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology and Ahimsa |
| Publication Year | 1985 |
| Total Pages | 592 |
| Language | Hindi, English |
| Classification | Smruti_Granth |
| File Size | 17 MB |