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adopt the life of a wandering hermit. So may you long be happy!' Then the god returned to his own place, after raining down seven crores of gold. Then King Rituparņa, seeing with his own eyes the fruit of good actions that the god had reaped, adopted the Jaina faith. Then, after some days, King Rituparņa was thus addressed by the Bráhman: 'King, dismiss Davadantí to the house of her father.' Chandrayaças said : ‘Be it so.' Then Davadantí, having been dismissed by King Rituparna, set out, surrounded by a force of all four arms. When King Bhímaratha heard that Davadantí was coming, being bound by the cords of affection, he went out to meet her, accompanied by Pushpadantí. Then Davadanti, beholding her parents afar off, got out of her carriage and fell at their feet. Their tears fell so copiously, on thus meeting after so long a separation, that mud was produced on the surface of the earth all round. Davadanti, embracing her mother as Yamuná embraces Gangá, clung to her neck, and lamented for a long time without restraint. Then, wiping their lotus-like faces, they told one another all their joy and grief. Then Pushpadantí took Davadanti on her lap, and said : My dear child, if indeed I have seen you alive, my merit must be awake and active. If you remain in our house, you will easily meet with your husband.' Then King Bhímaratba, being pleased, gave Harimitra five hundred villages; then they entered the city in triumph. They worshipped the gods and spiritual teachers earnestly for seven days. On the eighth day King Bhímaratha said to Davadantí: 'My dear child, I will take steps to have you reunited with Nala.'
Now, after Nala left Davadantí, he wandered about in the forest, and saw smoke arising from a thicket. Then, after a time, it became terrible with flame, and then there burst forth a forest conflagration, spreading and making a crackling noise among the burning canes ; awful with the cries of various wild beasts, destroying the trees. Then Nala heard a cry : Rescue me, thou circle of the sun to the lotuses of the Ikshváku race.' Then Nala, entirely
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