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XCV
BALDEV – VASUDEV
The southern range of the Vaithadhya mountains !
A city called Ratnapur was situated among those mountains. A mighty hero by name Ratnarath was the king of that city.
His queen, Chandramukhi gave birth to a beautiful daughter. She was named Manorama.
Manorama possessed outstanding beauty. Her name suggested her beauty and her character. She grew up to be a young damsel of fascinating beauty and charm. As a girl she captivated the heart of everyone by her mischievous pranks and guiles. As soon as she stepped on the threshold of youth the king was worried. Whenever he was alone he thought, "Where can I find a suitable bridegroom for my daughter?” This problem worried him greatly.
One day, when king Ratnarat sat alone absorbed in thinking about this problem, the divine sage Narad happened to visit Ratnapur. The king received him with great honour. In the course of his conversation with the king he found out the problem that was worrying the royal family and said by way of suggesting a solution.
"Oh king! In the whole world I see no one except Vasudev Lakshman who can be a match to your daughter Manorama. According to me, only Lakshman is a suitable bridegroom for princess Manorama."
But there had been existing a feud between the families of Lakshman and Manorama for several generations. As soon as
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