________________ en before, decorated with five ith an arch-way of fresh leir entry and they came to and presented him with XXVI NA YAKUMARACARIU beautiful mansion of the Danava, as he had never seen before, decora coloured banners, having designs executed in pearls and with an arche Kalpadruma leaves. The door-keeper did not prevent their entry and the council-hall of the Asura who received him with honour and presented a jewel-couch and other gems. The wife of the Sabara was restored to him. 6. Continuing his adventures in the forest, the hero entered the cave Kancana-guha, pointed out to him by the Sabara. There he met the deity. o received him with honour and offered all the Vidyas which she had been long keeping for him. On being questioned as to how it was, the deity said the Jitasatru, the son of Vidyadhara Vidyutprabha of Alakapur, practised aus there for twelve years and acquired those Vidyas. But in the meanwhile, Suvrata attained omniscience in the vicinity and Jitasatru went to pay him non On hearing his lecture he became converted, and, according to the prophecy on sage, instructed the Vidyas to await the advent of Nagak. On hearing this account: the hero accepted the Vidyas, but asked the deity to keep them on till he requi them. Being advised by Sudarsana, Nagak. entered another cave called Kala-vetalaguha and appropriated all the wealth of Jitasatru, which was kept for him by a Vetala. He next visited the 'tree-demon-hole' where he kicked aside a wooden giant and saw the old bow of Jitasatru. Coming out, he returned to the Jina temple and thence to his camp. Nagak. then marched out from there, being guided by the Sabara who conducted him upto the outskirts of the forest and then returned. The hero was here visited by Vanaraja, the chief of Girisikhara, who told him that according to the prophecy of a sage, he was destined to marry his daughter Laksmimats. He then took him home and the marriage took place. One day Nagak. waited upon sage Srutidhara and inquired of him whether Vanaraja was really a man of the forest or some king who had made his home there. The sage, thereupon, told him the history of Vanaraja. In the city of Pundravardhana, there ruled a king of the lunar dynasty named Aparajita. He had two wives Satyavati and Vasundhara from whom he had two sons, Atibala and Bhimabala respectively. The king retired for penances and Bhimabala usurped the throne, driving Atibala out of the realm. The latter came and settled in that forest where he founded the town of Girisikhara. Three generations had since passed in due succession and Somaprabha was ruling at Pundravardhana and Vanaraja at Giribikhara now. Hearing this account, Nagak. asked Vyala to proceed to Pundravardhana immediately and get the kingdom restored to Vanaraja. Vyala went to Pundravardhana and, failing to achieve his object by peaceful persuasion, fought and defeated Somaprabha who then retired for penances. Nagak. and Vanaraja then arrived there and the latter was crowned king. Somaprabha, during his ascetic-tours, reached Supratisthapura and was coa by the two sons of king Vijayasimha, Acheya and Abheya. On learning Somaprabha that he was vanquished by a deputy of Nagak., they rece prophecy and joined Nagak. as his servants. P.P.AC. Gunratnasuri M.S. Jun Gun Aaradhak Trust
