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INTRODUCTION
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the minister Gunagandha. ii Once both K and M enjoy a moon-lit night. ji During the closing part of it K sees in a dream a beautiful damsel and is smitten with love for her. After he is awake he pines for her, remembering her charms. In the morning he offers prayers to Sitalajina. iv K suffers heavily from the passionate love, and his friend shrewdly diagnoses the cause of his suffering. One day a magician Māyābhujamga, accompanied by his wife, enters the court-hall of the prince and shows to the audience there his skill in conjuring up heavenly scenes, divine damsels etc. Complying with Makaranda's request, the magician shows to the audience the most beautiful girl on the earth; and Kandarpa finds that she is the very princess whom he had seen in his dream. Feeling all the more disconsolate, he duly left the court; after finishing his bath, worship and meals, he retired to the rest-house. v Prince Kandarpa is lost in a reverie whether the princess of his dreamland lives anywhere on the earth or is just a creation of his imagination. At last he resolved to quit the pleasures of his kingdom; and he starts accompanied by his friend Makaranda towards the North in search of that maiden, their plans being not disclosed to any one. Passing through various pleasing regions and pleasant climates they rest in a village full of cows; and one early morning they are awakened by the noise of boar-hunters. vi Both of them join a party and were led by a boar to the Vindhya mountain. Looked after by Makaranda the prince travels on, and one day he receives the blessings of a Brāhmaṇa. In the eve they rest under a mango tree on which lived a couple of parrots, Catapriya and Vasantadohala. The former explains to his anxious mate the cause of his belated arrival and narrates to her the story of Vāsavadatta of Kusumapura.
vii 'Vibhramalekhā, the queen of Srrigārasekhara of Kusumapura, was without any issues. She felt all the more sorry when a parrot derieded her barrenness. Her beloved consoled her. She worships Padmavati and prays to her that she might be blessed with a daughter who would make her husband a Cakravartin. Under a pious nun she observes several vows and practises holy rites. One happy early morning she sees a dream. The Purohita interprets it as auspicious and tells her that she would have an eminent female child. In due course she delivers a daughter who is named Lilavati and also called Vasavadattā. Līlāvati grows into a beautiful maiden and spends her time happily with her companions. She did not like to choose any prince from those assembled at her Svayamvara. She sees in her dream some other prince; she wakes up and takes the
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