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34
KUVALAYAMÁLA
shelter (76.7-10). She decided to live looking after these children somewhere. Round the boy's neck she tied a coin with prince Tosali's name, and round the girl's neck another with her own name. She wrapped up the babies with the two ends of her upper garment, left them there, and went to a nearby stream for a wash. In the meanwhile, a hungry tigress, just delivered, came in search of prey and picked up that garment with packings of children dangling at both the ends. As it crossed the road, Ujjainī to Pāšaliputra, the girl dropped down on the road unnoticed by it. She was picked up by a messenger of Jayavarman who entrusted her to his issueless wife to her joy; and she was named Vanadattā and grew at Pāțaliputra. The tigress, carrying the boy on the way to its den, was hit dead with an arrow by prince Sabarasimha (attached to king Jayavarman) who had come for hunting. He picked up the lovely-looking boy, and his wife consecrated him as her regular son naming him significantly Vyāghradatta. They came to Pāțaliputra where the boy, as he grew, was nicknamed by his companions as Mohadatta. The disappearance of the babies shocked the mother who burst into lamentation. The steps of the tigress gave her a little clue; following them she reached the house of an ābhīrī (a cowherd's wife) who sheltered her like a daughter; and then, going from village to village, she soon reached Pāțaliputra, where, as luck would have it, she was emplo messenger's house, as a maid servant, to nurse Vanadattā, her own daughter whom she did not recognise. Vanadattā grew into a lovely maiden easily captivating with her glances the youths of the town. During spring, on the day of Madana-trayodasī, when she had gone for the festival in the park with her mother etc., she was seen by Mohadatta who significantly hinted his passion for her; and she also responded quite favourably (77.22-26). Suvarṇadevā also grasped the situation, but asked her to come there again to meet him after the festival. Vanadattā went home, and remained plunged in the pangs of separation. One day, on her way to the park, Vanadattā was seen by Prince Tosala whom Suvarnadevā (who was escorting Vanadattā) could not recognise, nor did he recognise her, for obvious reasons. Tosala fell in passionate love with Vanadattā, and resolved to win her hand at any cost. He followed her to the park, and, finding an opportunity, asked her, with naked sword in hand, either to accept him or be a prey to his sword. Suvarnadevā and others on the spot were terrified, and raised a hue and cry. Hearing that, Vyāghradatta (i.e., Mohadatta) rushed on the scene and encountered Tosala. There was a duel between the two in which Tosala met his end. When Mohadatta took nervous Vanadattā aside for love-sports, some unseen voice announced to him that it was unworthy of him to enjoy his own sister, in the presence of his mother, and that, too, after killing his father. He could find out that a monk of divine knowledge, who was there in the vicinity, had announced this. On inquiry, the monk explained to Mohadatta that Tosala was his father, Suvarnadevā his mother, and Vanadattā, his sister. Mohadatta felt remorse for his ajñāna, ignorance, and consequent sin for which he wanted expiation. The monk preached to him religious virtues and austerities which would duly lead him to liberation. Mohadatta wanted to accept dīkşā; but the monk, being a căranasramana, could not give it to him. As directed by him Mohadatta came to
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