________________
The Sadayavatsa-kathā
241
The pair arrived at the temple of the Sun-god, where a dispute raged between the Royal Courtesan Kāmasenā and a city merchant. Kāmasenā was demanding five hundred gold coins from the merchant's son Somadatta as the 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 was piled in front of a mirror. Kāmasenā, 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 intensity that she collapsed with exhaustion. The royal physician diagnosed her ailment as love-affliction. Kāmasenā invited S. to stay with her. When S. sought shumthā's advice in this matter, the latter warned him about the viles of prostitutes. But Kāmasenā won Thuộthā by offering him the services of her younger sister. So they accepted Kāmasenā's proposal which solved S.'s boarding problem. Next day, S. went to the gambling house and won huge sums from expert gamblers. He presented a part of the win to Kāmasenā, distributed another part in charity to all and sundry, and with the rest he purchased costliest garments and toiletries for Sāvalimgā.
On the fifth day, S. prepared to leave Kāmasenā's residence, to keep his promise to Sāvalimgā. Kāmasenă, madly in love with him, tried to detain him by pulling his shield. The jewelled bodice that was smuggled in the shield-cover by the thieves dropped down. Kämasenā kept it as a parting gift. Shortly, wearing it she started to attend upon the king. On her way, she was seen by the city mayor, who, identifying her bodice as one which was stolen from his house some time back, lodged a complaint with the king. On being questioned by the king, Kāmasenä refused to reveal the identity of the person who had gifted her the bodice. She was ordered to be executed, and taken to the execution ground. Her mother traced S. at the gambling house. S. rushed to Kāmasenā's help, freed her and put to rout the city guards. Hearing about this Somadatta reached there. S. requested him to take his message to Sāvalimgā. Soma
