Nayakumarchariu

Author(s): Pushpadant, Hiralal Jain
Publisher: Balatkaragana Jain Publication Society

Page 48

ANALYSIS OF THE WORK
Sukantha who killed his brother Subhacandra, king of Kaušāmbi, and, captured his seven daughters. Chivalrously responding to the call, Nāgak. besieged Alamghanagara the capital of Sukantha. After an exchange of bitter remarks and hard strokes Sukantha was killed by Nāgak. who then released the seven princesses, installed Sukantha's son Vajrakantha on the throne and married his daughter Rukmini and came to Gajapur where he married Abhicandra's daughter Candā as well as the seven princesses.
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The story now turns to the adventures of Mahăvyāla whom we left at Pataliputra. He enjoyed life with Garikāsundari for a long time till one day he learnt from a tourer that the concubine's daughter of the Pāņdya king of Southern Mathura had no liking for any man. He went to Madura and was seen by the damsel on the market road. She felt affected and raised an alarm as a result of which the guards attacked the visitor who vanquished them all and killed their commander. For this he was rewarded with the hand of the damsel.
He, one day, met a traveller who told him that the princess of Ujjain did not like any man. Mahāvyāla took leave of the Pandya king, came to Ujjain and went into the palace along with other suitors on a Sunday. The princess saw him from the balcony and shook her head and said that she would not elect him, and she called him her brother. Mahävyāla took this as a sign of his approaching evil day. He went to Gajapur, saw his elder brother, got a portrait of Nāgak. painted and returned with it to Ujjain, When he showed it to the princess, she atonce fell in love with the man painted in the picture and requested Mahāvyāla to bring that man to her if he was real flesh and blood. He then went to Gajapura once more and returned with Nāgak. who married her.
Nāgak. once asked Mahāvyāla about any wonders that he may have seen in the southern country. The latter said that the daughter of Meghavāhana, king of Meghpura in Kiskindha-Malaya, had taken a vow to fix her love upon him who could beat the ta bor (Medanga) in tune with her dance. Nāgak. went to the place, fulfilled the vow of the princess and married her.
One day, a merchant who came on a visit to his father-in-law in Meghapura waited upon the king with presents and told Nāgak. that in the Toyāvali island there was a Jina temple and also a big bunyan tree on which he saw some maidens who complained of injustice and cried for help. They were guarded by a Vidyādhara who would not allow them to talk for long with any body. Hearing this, Nāgak. thought of the deity Sudarsană who at once appeared and solicited orders. Nāgak, asked her for the services of some Vidyās which could conduct him over the seas and provide food. On reaching the said island, he worshipped the Jina and saw the maidens on the tree from the eldest of whom he learnt that they were the five hundred daughters of Sriraksa, king of Bhūmitilaka who had been
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