________________ XXIV NAYAKUMARACARIU . seizure of all her valuables. On his return Nagak. saw his mother without ornaments like a story told by a bad poet", and, on learning the cause of it, protested strongly in his mind and then went to the gambling house from where he returned to present his mother with a quantity of gold and jewels. The next day, the king saw his courtiers without their usual ornaments, and on inquiry, learnt about the skill of his son at the game of dice. Being very much impressed by it, he invited his son for a game with himself and eventually lost his all to him. The prince, however, returned everything to him but secured the release of his mother's ornaments. On another day a vicious horse was shown to the prince and the latter mas- tered it. Seeing the power of Nagak. growing every day, his elder brother, Sridhara, thought his chances of kingship jeopardized. So he began collecting hirelings to make short work of his rival. The king was shocked to know of this. As a precautionary measure he built a separate house for Nagak. While the latter was residing there, one day, the whole town was thrown into a tumult by the advent of a wild and ferocious elephant. Sridhara tried his powers against it, but all his forces were shattered by the onslaught of the mighty animal, and he himself had to run away for his very life. The king then rose up himself to meet the situation. This alarmed the queens who began to feel very anxious. Every one was looking for his own safety. At such a critical moment, Nagak. proudly sought a commission from his father to subdue the elephant. This being readily given, the prince had a good fighting game with it till it was completely brought under control "as the Govardhana mountain was handled by Govinda." 4. At this time, king. Jayavarma was ruling at Northern Mathura with his wife Jayavati. He had two sons, Vyala and Mahavyala who were full of knowledge and clever in fight.' One of 1 fight.' One of them had an extra eye on his forehead lika Siva, and the other was extraordinarily handsome like Cupid. A sage arrived at the capital and the royal family waited upon him to listen to his religious discourse. Later, the king questioned the sage regarding the future of his sons, and was told that they both were destined to serve; the one, him at whose sight his third eye vanishes, and the other, him who marries a girl who rejects his love-advances. At this prophecy the king became disgusted with the ways of the world and became an ascetic. While the two brothers were enjoying the kingship left to them by their father, they heard about Ganikasundars, the concubine's daughter of Srivarma, king of Pacaliputra, who was beautiful tike Rambha and virtuous like Sita,' but who, all the same, had no liking for any suitor. The two brothers entrusted their kingdom to the minister's son Durvacana, and went to Pataliputra. Eventually, Ganikasundari married the younger brother and the princess Surasundari, the elder. After a few days, while the two brothers were still in Pataliputra, the town was invaded by Aridamana, the king of Gauda. Srivarma, through fear, sought to settle with his enemy by an offer of gold, but the latter rejected the offer. The princess got alarmed at the danger to her father's life and expressed her fears to her husband who then prepared himself to deal with the enemy. But the young P.P.Ac. Gunratnasuri M.S. Jun Gun Aaradhak Trust
