Mallikamakarandanatakam

Author(s): Ramchandra Mahakavi, Punyavijay
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 19

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Mallikāmakaranda
the end of the austerities she regained her lost lore. However, being overcome by passion she enjoyed love's pleasures with a young Kirata (forest dweller). As a result of this love-affair she became pregnant. As soon as she delivered a child she deserted it by putting on its person a few but very valuable ornaments.......... He stops half-way, On being questioned by Makaranda he replies that he was brought up on Panca-śaila (Mountain)no, no, not Panca-śaila mountain but here only. Makaranda knows that the latter part of the story is spurious. He believes that the deserted child is none other than Mallikā and that this Tāpasakumāra must be her brother. Tāpasakumāra further tells him that realizing the objects of pleasure, especially, women, to be the source of grief he took to asceticism. Manorama knows that it is this man whom Candralekbā wants to kill. She requests Makaranda to narrate his life-story. He tells his account thus :
“There was a merchant by name Jinadatta, who lived in 'Suvarnadvipa'. He was the best among highly religious persons. He had inherited immenso wealth. I was his only son born to him in his late age. I was named Makaranda. Right from my boyhood I squandered away our ancestral wealth by gambling and I had to depend on others for even two meals a day. In the very prime of my life I started visiting harlots." Tāpasakumāra was disgusted with him to hear it and told him not to proceed further in his narration. When Manorama and Makaranda importuned him to narrate the rest of the account he relented. Makaranda then resumed nars artion : “As it was not possible for me to live amongst my own relationand people belonging to my caste I migrated from Suvarnadvipa to the mountain Pañca-Saila. There I was separated from my beloved by an unknown agency in a mysterious way. Then I decided to end my life by throwing myseif into the ocean when I saw there a Bhārunda bird that had arrived. What happened in between I do not know but I found myself this morning in the garden adjoining the Siddhāyatana'' Tāpasakumāra (rightly) thinks that the Bhārunda bird, greedy of flesh, must have brought him there and suddenly dropped him down from high above. Makaranda then requests Tāpasakumāra to suggest to him some way to put an end to his life. Just then Devalaka arrives there to offer Tāpasakumāra divine fruits. Tāpasakumāra learns from Devalakathat he has been asked by Candralekha to find out of what form the newly arrived man is and where he is seated. Tāpasakumāra "fears something untoward might happen to Makaranda. Just then Māgadhika arrives there and excitedly says: "A great misfortune is about to visit them". She whispers into the ear of Tāpasakumāra what that misfortune is. Hearing her words Tāpasakumāra feels very much distressed at the hard-heartedness of his mother. He regards Māgadhikä like his own mother and requests her to show the way to save himself and Makaranda.