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INTERVENING STORIES
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(c) Rāvana's war-campaign and his emergence as a Prativasudeva or Ardhacakravartin of Bhāratavarşa:
(ix) Abduction of Candranakhā:-According to the PCV, Kharadūşana, the son of Meghaprabha expelled Khecara Candrodara? and usurped the latter's capital Pātālaňkārapura. He abducted Candranakhā when Rāvana was away from Larkāpuri to marry Trņakañcu (Taņukañcu 9.11), daughter of Avali. Rāvana prepared to kill Kharadūşaņa but Mandodarī prevented him from doing so, to save Candranahhā from becoming a widow (9. 10-23).
According to the VR, Khara and Dūşaņa are two brothers (3. 17. 22). Khara is called as Mātņśvaseya bhrātā of Sūrpanakhā (7. 24. 37). Here Śūrpanakhā marries Vidyujjihva, a Kālakeya Dānavendra, She is not abducted (7. 12. 2). Rāvana is said to have ignorantly killed Vidyujjihva at Asmanagara on his way to Rasātala (7.23. 17), on a war compaign. Here during the absence of Rāvana from Lajikā, Raksasa Madhuof Madhupura abducts Kumbhinasi, (7. 25. 25). She is mentioned as the daughter of Sumālin i, e. she is the sister of the mother of Rāvana (7.5. 40). But at 7.25.23, she is referred to as the daughter of the daughter of Mālyavat, the elder brother of Sumālin i. e. she is the sister of Rāvana from maternal side and so she is called 'bhagini' (7.25.39) of Rāvana. Rāvaņa attacks Madhupura to kill Madhu, but Kumbhinasi's imploration to save herself from becoming a widow (7. 25. 43) prevents Rāvana from killing Madhu.
The TR does not contain this episode.
The PCV mentions Āvali's daughter as Tanūdarī (9.24) and the latter's father as Pravara. Pātāla ikārapura is called Alankārodayapura. According to the PCS, Khara and Dūşaņa are two persons (12.3.5) who abduct Candranakhā, and then kill Candrodara. Rāvana sends Mārica and Maya to celebrate the wedding of his sister (12.4). The RPS agrees with the PCR but mentions the killing of Candrodara (p. 37). The TSP mentions Candrodara as the son of Adityarājas. At the time of the abduction of Candranakhā by Khara, Rāvana had gone to Meru to pay homage to the Jina shrines (IV. 129). Düşana is the younger brother of Khara. Mandodarī even requests Rāvana to make Khara the lord of Patalaukārapura.
1. The text of PCV (9, 18) is not clear (See PCR, 9. 37). 2. For Madhu of the PCV see "The Occupation of Mathurā by Satrughna' under
intervening stories. 3. Perhaps a wrong reading of the text of the PCV, which is not clear in itself,
is followed.
