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VIT
The Vidyādhara then advised Karakanda to march away immediately as he had observed & good omen. Accordingly, the king marched away and reached the Simhala island. He encamped in the vicinity of the capital and went into the heighbouring woods for sport. He saw a big hunyan tree of which he pierced all the leaves by means of his shots. This fact was reported to the king of the place who thereupon desired to see him. But Karakanda would not care to visit his palace unless the king came personally to invite him. So the king himself came out and conducted karakanda to his palace where he met princess Rativogā who instantly fell in love with him. They were then married. Taking leare of his father-in-law Karakanda, with his new wife and large dowries, sailed off. During the voyage, they encountered a sea-monster which threatened their boat. The king drew forth his sword and jumped into the sea. He succeeded in killing the monster but was himself carried away by a Vidyādhari. His disa ppearance caused a great commotion in the boats. To the young bride it was a great shock and she burst forth into heart-rending lamentations. The minister who was on board consoled all and brought them to the shore where they all oncamped. Rativegā devoted herself to the worship of goddess Padmavati who appeared in person and informed ber of the fate of her lord who had been taken by the Vidyādhari to Tilakadvipa and had been married by her. He had also shown great valour in killing the enemy of the Vidyadhari's father and in recognition of this achievement all the Vidyadharas had accepted him as their master. The goddess then agsured Rativegã that her lord will return to her with a large fortune. On Rativegā's expressing her doubts about the truth of the forecast, the goddess set forth to illustrate her prophecy.
VIII
Rativegā asked the goddess to tell her whether any person who had gone away like her husband had ever come back. On this the goddess narrated to her the story of king Aridamana, and saying that, like him, her husband will also soon return, she went away. Rativegā, thence forward, passed her time in the practice of religious vows und alms-giving, till, one day, Karakandı arrived there with his now wife. After passing a few days there in merry-making, he resumed his course of conquest of the Dravida country. He defeated the Coda, Cera and Pandya kings in an open fight, took them prisoners, and, as promised. touched their crowns with his foot. But when he saw Jina-images on the tops of the crowns, he felt remorseful, released the prisoners and offered to reinstate them in their kingdoms. But the latter replied that their sons would, thence forward, serve him, and retired to
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
