Jain Ramayana Part 1

Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

Page 19

The Rakshasdweep: The Vanardweep
On the way, he had to fly over Ratnapur. By chance, his eyes fell upon a youthful damsel who was engaged in sports, in the garden. Shrikant's eyes were fixed upon that damsel who possessed bewitching beauty and he was fully and restlessly lost in an infatuated contemplation on her angelic grace and beauty. The damsel could not help noticing the youngster who kept intently looking at her and whose eyes seemed to be plying the arrows of love into her very heart and thrilling her to the brims of her being. She, too, easily became enamoured of him. Whoever loved that loved not at the first sight! Her gazing eyes with sparkling passion rolled; and he kept looking on her with unuttered accents more than mortal in their ardour.
And then what succeeded? The eyes met the eyes; and the heart met the heart. Impetuous emotions came tumbling but were choked before they expressed themselves. Ardent emotions of love met and mutually clashed; a fine and frenzied passion sprouted in their hearts; and bloomed into bliss. They became totally oblivious of themselves. The damsel lifted her eyes towards him; and began to gaze at him with infatuation.
Shrikant became enslaved by his love. His love for her reached its limits; and the beautiful damsel became infatuated with him. Shrikant came down to earth. He ardently took her hand in his; took her into the airship, and placing her in his lap, he resumed his journey through the sky.
When the damsel's friends and attendants noticed that she had been abducted by a stranger, they were terror-stricken.
"Oh ! Padma has been abducted! Some radiant youth descended from the sky and disappeared with her. He carried away Padma !” They raised a hue and cry; and their horrified cries reverberated throughout the garden. The news of Padma's abduction spread like wild fire, throughout the city, within the
vinkling of an eye. There was a loud commotion, in the city of Ratnapur. It did not take much time for the news to reach the ears of Pushpottar Vidyadhar. He began to rage with anger on hearing the news of the abduction of Princess Padma. Every drop of his blood erupted like a volcano. Pushpottar Vidyadhar decided to take revenge against the abductor of his dear