________________ against him. S. declined their offer of magic gifts. So the thieves clandestinely inserted in his shield a jewelled bodice worth a million, and promised to go to his help when remembered in a critical situation. S. and Savalimga left that place. Proceeding further they came across a deserted city, where the presiding deity of the buried treasures of King Nanda of yore appeared before S. and offered him the treasures. But unwilling to take possession of the treasures without offering ceremonial worship, S. moved on and reached the precincts of Pratisthana. He left Savalimga in charge of a bard there, and proceeded towards Pratisthana to procure funds through gambling. As he entered the city gate he chanced to see a fellow with his hands, nose and ears maimed. He took this to be an evil omen, but that Thumtha introduced himself as the prince of Simhala. He had lost all his money at gambling during his visit to Pratisthana and having failed to pay dues, he was maimed by the gamblers. S. accepted him as his trusted companion. The pair arrived at the temple of the Sun-God, where a dispute raged between the royal courtesan Kamasena and a city merchant. Kamasena was demanding five hundred gold coins from the merchant's son Somadatta as her charge for cohabiting with her in her dream ! The disputing parties appointed S. as the arbiter. He resolved the dispute by offering to the courtesan's mother the mirror-image of the demanded amount. The amount wa piled in front of a mirror. Kamasena, receiving report of the arrival of an attractive noble young man, came to the temple. She was love-striken at the first sight. She gave a dance performance at the temple with such passion that she collapsed with exhaustion. The royal physician diagnosed her ailment as love-affliction. Kamasena invited S. to stay with her. When S. sought Thumtha's advice in this matter, the latter warned him about the viles of prostitutes. But Kamasena won over Thumtha by [30]