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Story of Prabhākara
89
or meet death. Prabhākara, after reciting his father's çloka, produced the peacock, and then went away, reflecting sadly on the results of evil association with an un. worthy lord, wife, and friend (484).
He wandered about until he arrived at the city of Sundara, where he happened upon Guņasundara, the son of the king of that city, practicing military tactics on the field for military exercise (khalūrikā) outside the city. They struck up acquaintance: Prabhākara, finding hinn a gracious and noble prince, took service with him, in the hope of purging himself of the contact with his former evil lord (495). Then he married a noble, faithful and discreet wife, Srī by name; also, he gained the friendship of Vasanta, a rich and generous merchant. At the death of his father, Gunasundara, succeeding, chose Prabhākara for his minister. It happened that the two went on an expedition, riding two noble horses of inverted training 30 When they, not knowing the peculiarity of the horses, attempted to check them, they ran off at a fierce gallop, landing them in a great forest, far away from their retinue. As they were galloping along, Prabhākara plucked three myrobalans from a tree. With these, one by one, he restored the king, who had been overcome by thirst and hunger. In time, they were found by the king's retinue, and were brought back to the city in triumf and great rejoicing (520).
Now the five-year old son of Guņasundara was in the habit of visiting Prabhākara's house, to play there. He wore a child's necklace. In order to test the king's quality, Prabhākara, one day, hid the boy out of sight. At the end of a long and vain search, the king was not only deeply grieved, but also much perplexed, because he knew
* See additional note 26, on p. 204.
