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[Prince Vardhamana Persuaded for Marriage
lunar month ) grown every day. Gradually he passed his boyhood and stepped into the doorway of handsome youth.
Although, from the wonder-working and superhuman powers of the child, the parents had already imagined the trend of his future life, still impelled by their love for their dearest son, they began to search for a suitable bride for him. A contemporary king known as 'Samara-Vira'had a daughter named Yashoda. She was of a marriagable age. King Samara-Vira had sent out his men in search of a suitable bride-groom for his daughter. On their return, the massengers related all about the extra-ordinary genius and wonderful knowledge of prince Vardhamana to King SamarVira, who felt very glad to hear this news. He at once ordered his loyal ambassadors to go to the court of King Sidhartha and request him to accept the hand of his daughter in marriage with his son, prince Vardhamana. Sidhartha re. ceived the ambassadors very warmly; and in the course of conversation, which thus ensued, he said to them, “ Queen Trishala and I wish from the bottom of our heart that we might see the marriage ceremony of our beloved son being performed, before our eyes, in our life-time. But while our heart begins to throb to see his miraculous deeds, his peaceful temperament and his feelings of kindness, generosity and self-control, we shudder at the thought of his renouncing the world. His feeling of detachment (from the world ) is not new. It was there when he was born, and since then it has been increasing day by day. We have tried to sound him about it; but have found that it remains uncharged at the time of greatest joys and greatest sorrows. That is why we could not raise the question of his marriage before him uptil
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