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46
KUVALAYAMĒLĀ
150.21 to 151.10). The teachers there were well-versed in seventy-two kalās or arts and sixty-four vijñānas or lores. There he heard the naughty lads irresponsibly gossipping in contemporary Middle Indo-Aryan spoken dialect about various topics, personal and urban, and had a confirmation that the princess had exhibited an incomplete verse in the Palace Yard. On the way to it,
ere was a festivity at a merchant's place; in the market, he came across traders (from different parts of the country) who could be distinguished from their traits and who were speaking in their own language (described 152.23 to 153.18): and he heard various conversations in the bazar (153.13-18). In the palace yard, he came across many rulers who seemed dejected at the idea that the princess would marry him who completed the verse of which she exhibited only one foot: pamca vi paime vimāṇammi'; and, for verification, the entire verse was kept under lock and seal in the royal treasury. He could at once guess and hit on the complete Gāthā (154.5), seeing how trickily that princess Māyāditya > Kuvalayamālā ] had drafted it (Pages 149.4-154.6; *61.1-31).
KUVALAYACANDRA WINS KUVALAYAMĀLĀ'S HEART AND MEETS MAHENDRAKUMĀRA: Just then, there was great commotion among the people, because the invincible elephant was running amuck after breaking its chains and killing its keeper (described 154.11-13). The king with his harem rushed to the terrace. He was warning the prince to get away from the elephant. The prince, seeing the infuriated elephant rushing at him, tricked it with a garment, and, as he got on its back, recited the full verse, hearing which Kuvalayamālā declared that the verse was duly completed and put a garland of fragrant flowers round his neck. The king (Vijayasena) felicitated his daughter on her worthy choice; there was a shower of flowers from heaven: and shouts of Victory' resounded the sky. At that moment Mahendrakumāra came on the scene, and greeted the prince on his triumph with significant reference to the parents of the latter. Recognising Mahendrakumāra, the prince made the elephant sit and took him on its back: both of them embraced each other, and inquired about mutual welfare. King Vijaya was happy at the fine coincidence (155.7-9), to the good fortune of his daughter. The prince was duly welcomed in the palace, and Kuvalayamālā could have an affectionate glance at him (Pages 154.7-155.13; *61.31- *62.24).
MAHENDRAKUMĀRA NARRATES WHAT HAPPENED AT VINĪTĀ: King Vijayasena was curious to know how both of them were there. Mahendrakumāra narrated what happened at the capital after Kuvalayacandra was carried away by the horse. The parents were in a miserable plight at the loss of the prince; the ministers tried to console them by reminding them of the privation suffered by Sagara; and all possible attempts (155-31 ff.) were made to get some news about the prince. The maidens suffered a sense of separation; and when the metropolis was thus plunged into frustration caused by this privation, the Royal Parrot got the audience of the King and narrated to him, to his joy and satisfaction, how prince Kuvalayacandra came to the hermitage of Eņikā, how on his important mission of enlightening Kuvalayamālā, he proceeded to Vijayāpurī, and how the duty of conveying his welfare to the parents was entrusted to it. On getting this information, king Drdhavarman was ready to
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