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Prakrit and Apabhramsa Studies
every day when he wakes up in the morning. Having said this, the doves immediately threw themselves in the burning fire set up by the Brahmin boys below the tree to scare away animals. Somadatta awakened Visnudatta and narrated what happened. He gave him the male bird to eat and himself ate the female. When Somadatta awoke in the morning. he found five hundred gold coins near him. Convinced of the truth of what the doves said, they resumed their journey. During the course of their travel. one of them became thirsty. He went in search of water and returning lost his way. The two brothers were separated. In course of their separate wanderings, the elder. Vişnudatta, became king of Magadha. The younger, Somadatta arrived in Kāñci and enjoyed in the company of the most beautiful courtesan Karpūrikā, the daughter to the bawd Makaradamstrā. Under the latter's instruction, Karpūrikā made Somadatta divulge to her the secret of the magic female dove, the source of his inexhaustible wealth. The next day an emetic was mixed up with Somadatta's food. The female dove he vomitted out was grabbed and swallowed up by Makaradamstrā. Somadatta, now rendered penniless, was turned out.
Repentant Somadatta goi the news of Vişnudatta's kingship. He went to Magadha, met his brother, conceived a plan of avenging himself and returned to Kāñci with rich pomp and paraphernalia. He took up residence with a courtesan in Makaradamstrā's neighbourhood and started spending lavishly.
Here there is a gap in the narrative due to a lacuna in the text. It covered the incidents of Somadatta inducing Karpūrikā to witness the secretly contrived spectacle of producing right royal service and entertainment just by crowing like a cock. This was pre-arranged by him under a Pipal tree outside the city. When pressed by Karpūrikā, he explained that was due to a magic power he had acquired at Sriparvata by performing life-risking austerities. She easily fell into the trap and arranged a barter. In exchange for Somadatta's magic power she agreed to give him the deceitfully expropriated magic dove with the whole of her accumulated wealth thrown in. Accordingly Makaradamsțrā vomitted the female
