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incarnate. In her sleep she saw a heap of jewels. So when the son was born, they gave him the name of Ratnaçikha. Being tenderly cherished, he became, in course of time, expert in all the accomplishments. When he became a young man, his father united him in marriage to the daughter of the King of Koçalá, named Sukoça. One day King Padmánana saw a grey hair* on his head, and filled with the idea of renunciation, he anointed Ratnaçikha as ruler in his kingdom, and himself, with his queen, went to live in the forest. So King Ratnaçikha ruled the kingdom. Now, that king took great pleasure in stories, but he showed special favour to anyone who told him & story of a man of great virtue.
One day a certain person began the story of Vírángada and Sumitra, saying, 'Hear, O king !-- In this very land of Bharata there is a city called
Vijayapura. In it there was STORY OF PRINCE VÍRÁNGADA AND
AND a king named Surángada; HIS FRIEND SUMITRA. his son was a prince named Vírángada. Now, that son was a wishing-jewelt of wealth to petitioners, and to those who desired protection a cage of adamant, and to the wretched and afflicted a paternal mansion. That prince had a great friend in Sumitra, the son of the prime minister. One day the prince had a conversation of this kind with Sumitra. The prince said: “My friend, we must go to another land; without going to another land how can we test our merit ? how can we acquire fresh knowledge ? So let us start for a foreign land, after informing our fathers and mothers of our intention."
Thus they deliberated, and remained thinking over a means of starting. One day, while the prince was amusing himself in the garden, a certain thief adorned for execution, with eyes rolling with fear, fell at his feet,
* See my translation of the Katha Sarit Ságara,' vol. i., p. 67; vol. ii., p. 628. See also Professor Jacobi's preface to his edition of the Paricishta Parvan,' p. 14, note. ,
+ See my translation of the 'Katha Sarit Ságara,' vol. ii., p. 8.
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