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अनुसंधान - १७ • 77
who was nailed to a tree by Varuņa suspecting him to be desirous of his wives who are not seen even by the sun (asūryaṁpaśya). Kaumudi, the daughter of the Kulapati falls in love with Mitrāṇanda at first sight and reveals to him the fact that the asceties in the monastery are pseudo-ascetics and that the fate of her husbands so far to fall and perish into the well hidden under the bed in the nuptial chamber. In his case smitten by love she proposes to run away with him carrying with them the treasure collected from her former 'husbands' to Lanka. In Lanka the plight of the pair would have been miserable since Mitrāṇanda is taken for a robber by the city police if Mitrāṇanda, had not saved the yuvarāja (crownprince), Lakṣmipati, from death by snakebite with the aid of the magical lore, called hālāhalahari vidyā given to him to revive the dead by the goddess Jānguli on the occasion of his (Mitrāṇanda's) marriage with Kaumudi.
The King in gratitute entrusts the pair to the minister Kamarati, who, however, is enamoured of Kaumudi and is very enxious to get rid of her husband. The opportunity is given him by a human sacrifice which a feudatory by name Vijayavarmā of the king wishes to perform. Kāmarati sends Mitrāṇanda to him as upahāra-puruṣa (victim) but Maitreya luckily recognises him. Maitreya was his companion. He had won the favour of Vijayavarmā by curing him with the aid of a magical herb. Kaumudi in the meantime is ixpelled from the minister's house by his jealous wife and wanders untill she meets Sumitra, daughter of a merchant, and her family. Vajravarman, a chief of the abotigines, captures them all. One Makaranda, who turns out to be a friend of Mitrāṇanda, is also broght to this Vajravarman.
A letter from Lakṣmipati inquiring about the welfare of Miträṇanda and Kaumudi is received; and Kaumudi takes advantage of this letter and includes Vajravarman to celebrare the marriage of Makaranda and Sumitra-who have fallen in love with each other at first sight. The three then have an adventure at Ekacakrā town with a Kāpālika who persuades the women to go into a 'pātālabhavana' (subterranean apartment) while he asks Mitrāṇanda's heep against a Vidyadhara, described as strengly desirous of women.
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