________________
12
returned to Potanapura, there was great rejoicing in the town. After staying there for some time, Tripristha Vāsudeva carry. ing with him, cakra, chatra, dhanusya, maņi, gadā etc. went with a large army for dig-vijaya. In course of time, he brought under his supreme authority, half the continent of Bharatakṣétra and thousands of feudatory kings. Having conquered the kingdoms of Anga( country near Modern Bhāgalpur on Coroma. ndel coast. S. India ) Vanga ( Bengal) Kalinga ( a district ) and having established his own officers there, he went to Magadhadeśa (Southern Bihār ). There, he merrily lifted up, like an umbrella, over his own head, a very huge stone-slab which could be lifted by ten million persons collected to gether, and beings praised by the kings and bards, he went in the direction of Daņdakā raṇya ( a forest in South Deccan ), and having located his army there, he passed some days in the forest. One night, when all the people of his camp were asleep, Tripristha Vāsudeva, unnoticed by any of his numerous watchmen, went out from his camp, and as he was walking alone silently, he heard a gentle noise comming from a distance. He went in the direction of the noise, and as he entered a thick forest full of numerous tall trees, he saw a man bound to a tree. Tripristha Vasudeva went quite near the tree, and asked the men as to who he was and why he was thus bound. The men replied:-"O Worthy Śir ! please make me free form my ties, and I will narrate my account. The Vasudeva cut the ties of the man with his discus and set him free. The man, then, said: “I am a Vidyadhara (a class of demi-gods ) nanied Ratnaśékhara. Nijayavati --the extremely beautitul and charming daughter of the King of Simhaladvipa ( Island of Ceylon) was to be given in marriage with me, and when I reached this place with all my marriage preparations on my way to Sinhala-dvîpa, an inimical Vidyadhara named Vāyu-véga, forcibly snatched away everything from me, and reduced me to this state.', Tripristha Vasudeva, then asked him:-"Being a vidyādhara ( a demi-god ), why are you desirous of marrying a human female ? The Vidyādhara said:-"O illustrious man I She is very beautiful, and her charms are unique.”
