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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM
The last three interpolated chapters after 7.59, which narrate the complaints made by a dog, a vulture and an owl in the court of Rama, have no references in the PCV.
2. Añjanasundari and Hanumat :
Once Rāvana pays homage to omniscient Muni Anantavīrya and listens to a religious discourse from him. On that occasion Hanumat is also there. Listening to the name of Hanumat, Śreņika enquires about his life. Gautama then narrates the story (15-19).
King Mahendra of Mahendranagara had a young daughter, Añjanasundari begot on his wife, Hrdayasundari. He declined to betroth Añjanasundari to Daśamukha or his sons, or Vidyutprabha of Kanakapura, who were proposed as alternative grooms by his ministers. He decided to marry her to Pavanañjaya, the son of Khecara Prahlada of Adityapura and Kirtimati. Once he went to the Vijayārdha mountain to worship the Jina idols and there he settled with Prahlada to perform the marriage on the bank of the Manasa lake. Both the parties went there. Pavanañjaya, out of curiosity and being oppressed by the cupid, went along with his friend Prahasita to the palace of Añjana. He developed a dislike for Añjana as he saw that Añjană did not at all resent but smiled at the words of Miśrakeśī, a maid-servant of Añjanasundari, who had been praising Vidyutprabha and throwing slush on him. He instantly got angry and tried to murder Añjana and Miśrakeši, but Prahasita's timely intervention saved the situation. Pavanañjaya dissented to the proposed marriage and fled away. When his father and father-in-law persuaded him, he married Anjanasundari but soon abandoned her in a secluded palace.
Once Pavananjaya while on his way to Lanka to assist Rāvaņa, encamped on the Manasa lake. There he observed a desperate bird suffering from the pain of the separation from her male mate. His heart melted and he immediately along with Prahasita returned to the palace of Anjanasundarī. He met her after 22 years of separation and copulated with her. Next morning he handed over to her his finger-ring in memory of their union and departed for Lankā.
In course of time the signs of Añjana's pregnancy became visible. Kirtimati suspecting her character banished her without believing in the evidence of the ring of Pavanañjaya shown to her by Añjana. Vasantamālā a maid-servant and very intimate with Añjanā accompanied the latter to Mahendranagara, but her parents afraid of their own disrepute did not give shelter to her. Then Añjana along with Vasantamālā entered a forest. There she was consoled by muni Amitagati,
