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who carried their provisions. One day they all saw in a wood a great hermit in the statuesque posture, and they said: “Lo, a great piece of good fortune has befallen us, in that this hermit, like a treasure of quietism, has come within range of our eyes. So let us do ourselves a kindness by giving him something." It happened to be the time for the hermit to eat. So they all four said to Dronaka : "Worthy Droņaka, give this hermit something." So the hermit was relieved by Droņaka, out of faith, with more food than they intended ; and thus Dronaka placed to his credit an action which would produce much auspicious fruit. Then, by the help of their good action, they arrived at Ratnadvípa, and having acquired wealth came back. By that very seed of merit they became successful on all occasions. Now, Dhanapati and Dhaneçvara were very deceitful. They traded with Sudhana and Dhanada on a system of subtle trickery. But Droņaka was of a very guileless character. He was born as yourself, Kuruchandra, to King Duḥprasaha, in the city of Gajapura, by his wife Çrísundarí, having been foretold by a dream of the moon. In the meanwhile Sudhana and Dhanada died, and were born apart as sons of merchants, the first in the city of Kámpilya, and the second in the city of Kártika. One was called Vasantadeva, and the other Kámapála. As for those two deceitful merchants, Dhanapati and Dhaneçvara, when they died, their allotted period of life having come to an end, they were born as women on account of their deceitful nature, one in Çankapura, and the other in Jayantí. One was called Maillá, and the other Kesará. In course of time they all grew up to be young men and young women.
Now, one day about this time Vasantadeva went from
the city of Kámpilya to How VASANTADEVA AND KÁMAPÁLA OBTAINED THEIR WIVES * Jayanti to acquire wealth.
There, on the great moon* This is identical with the story of the two Bráhman friends in book xiii. of the Katha Sarit Ságara.' See the remarks of Professor Wilson, quoted by me in a note on p. 423 of vol. ii. of my translation.
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