Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

Author(s): C H Tawney
Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi

Page 57

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In this very land of Bharata, in the district of the Kurus, STORY OF PRINCE SANATKUMÁRA.*
is a city named Hastinága
IRA.* pura. In it lived a king named Acvasena. His wife's name was Sahadeví. One day there was born to them a very handsome son named Sanatkumára, whose birth was announced by fourteen dreams. A young Rájput of the name of Mahendrasimha, the son of Súrarája, was a great friend of his. In course of time Sanatkumára learned all the accomplishments. One day, when he was entering upon the period of early manhood, Sanatkumára went to the wood at the time of the spring festivalt to amuse himself with his friend. At that festival Sanatkumara beheld all kinds of interesting sights. Then a certain owner of horses presented the prince with a splendid horse. The prince mounted that horse. The horse ran away with the prince and carried him a long distance. The king proceeded in search of his son, but, though he looked for Sanatkumára, he did not find him. Then the father of Mahendrasimha asked King Açvasena to desist from the search, and Mahendrasimha himself went to look for his friend. He roamed about in a great forest for a year. Then one day he heard the cry of sárasas, and smelled the perfume of lotuses. He also . heard a melodious sound. Going forwards, he beheld a lake, and in a bower of plantains near that lake he saw Sanatkumára recreating himself, followed about by crowds of ladies, and he heard the following laudatory verse being recited by a bard: Victory to thee, the fortunate Sanatkumára, famed in the three
worlds, The matchless jewel of the land of the Kurus, the son of King
Açvasena! When Mahendrasimha heard this verse being recited, he said to himself, Undoubtedly Prince Sanatkumara is in front of me.' On looking in front of him carefully, he
* This is identical with the second story in Jacobi's Ausgewählte Erzählungen in Maharashtrí.'
+ This appears to correspond exactly to the May ceremonies of our ancestors. See Chaucer's Knight's Tale,' 175-189 and 683-654.