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Mahāvīra enlightened Gautama and others on his antecedents thus: 'He is Vajragupta, the son of king Candragupta of Rṣabhapura. One day the prominent citizens waited on the king and requested him to find out the robber who was regularly looting the town of its best things every night, but could not be noticed, as admitted, even by the city-guard. Vajragupta, however, came forth with a solemn pledge that he would either detect the thief within a week or kill himself in flames; and the king accepted his offer. Six days passed quietly, without any success; so, now, the prince felt anxious that death was inevitable for him. At last, he decided to propitiate with his flesh the Vetāla in the cemetery. Accordingly, he went there at night and appealed to Pisaca etc., to accept his flesh and give the required information. A Vetāla demanded his bony and roasted flesh, followed by a mouthful of his blood offered in his skull (Gautama got an explanation that this was just a joke of Vyantaras). As the prince, quite ready to fulfil this, was about to cut his head, a divine voice, pleased with his courage, promised him the boon; and thus he got the requisite details where that invincible thief lived. He reached cautiously the door of the cellar at the foot of a banyan tree. He smelt the fragrance of incense and heard sweet notes of music. He entered a rich hall there and attracted the attention of a charming girl whose glances were the veritable shafts of cupid. In course of mutual inquiry, he gathered that she was the daughter of Surendra, king of Śrāvastī, and was betrothed to Vajragupta; but, in the meanwhile, she was kidnapped by that gifted thief and pent up there. He could recognise that she was Campakamālā, his once-proposed beloved but was said to be carried away by a Vidyadhara. He disclosed his identity, and requested her to help him to kill that Vidyadhara thief, provided she continued to love him. She gave him some details about the ladies etc. there, and assured him her aid in this plot. She was not sure of the fidelity of other women (251.1 f.), but it was likely that they would love him. She appreciated his wisdom, and presented him with the miraculous sword etc. of the thief and substituted the ordinary ones of the prince in their place. Thus nicely equipped, and getting the necessary hints from her, the prince ambushed at the mouth of the cellar to strike that robber immediately on his entering there. Before daybreak, the robber returned kidnapping princess Campāvatī, the very beloved of the prince, namely, Vajragupta, who was loudly crying for his protection from the robber. The prince thought that the robber was caught red-handed, and was about to cut his head; but, on second thoughts, he decided rather to give a fair fight than to murder him treacherously. He challenged the robber who was surprised by his presence there. The robber realized that his divine weapons were substituted. Reviling each other in a challenging mood, they fought like wild buffaloes. When the duel was being fought evenly, Campāvatī [rather Campakamālā] hinted to him to remember (the power behind) the Khadga-ratna. When the prince did so, that robber suspected the treachery of Campakamālā, and rushed to strike her; but his head, in the meanwhile, was lopped off by the prince; and he fell dead on the ground. At Campakamālā's suggestion, the prince took also the miraculous pill from the mouth of the dead body, and thus gained additional lustre and strength. Thus triumphant and miraculously equipped,
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