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INTRODUCTION
117
XVIII Sandhi. Rāvana takes vow not to commit rape:
Marriage of Pavan añjaya and Añjanā: Repudiation and re-acceptance of Añjanā
After Indra's defeat, while Rāvana was returning from a pilgrimage to the summits of Mandara, he heard a great hubbub which was explained by Marica as being due to gods proceeding to pay homage to Anantaratha, who had attained Kevala. Rāvana went to the Kevalin and saw there all people taking some one or other of the religious vows (1). Sage Dharmaratha urged Rāvana to take a vow. Rāvana replied, 'I can accomplish all the feats of physical strength considered impossible, but cannot observe a vow' (2). Still thinking hard he took a vow, not to accept any woman against her wish. After this, he returned to Lankā.
Mahendra, the king of Mahendra city, seeing her daughter Añjanä coming of age, went to seek for a suitable husband for her to Mount Aştāpada where hundreds of Vidyādharas were assembling on the Aştähikā festival (3). There he became friends with Prahlada, the king of Ravipura, to whose son, Pavanañjaya, Añjanā was betrothed and the marriage cere mony was fixed to take place after two days (4). In the meanwhile Pavanañjaya became so love-lorn that his friend Prahasita noticed his sudden emaciation and asked the cause (5). He said, 'If I do not see the face of my beloved today, I will die.' Thereupon both went at night to Añjana's sleeping quarters and saw her from the window. Prahasita congratulated his friend for getting such a matchless beauty (6). Añjana's friend Vasantamālā was congratulating her for getting a husband like Pavanan
jaya. But another friend Miśrakeśī said, 'Before Vidyutprabha, Pavanañjaya counted for nothing.' Hearing these words Pavanañjaya raised his sword in indignation and was going to sever the heads of both the girls, when Prahasita checked him from doing anything rash. Grievous, he returned to his residence. Spending somehow that endless night, he started with his retinue in the morning. When other kings with great difficulty pursaded him, he decided that having accepted her hand, he would desert her for twelve years (7-8).
Through this long unbearable grief Añjanā became complete ly worn out. In the meanwwhile as his messenger returned without collecting tributes from Varuņa, Rāvana had declared war on him (9). In the battle that ensued Varuņa's son Rājiva and Pundarika took Khara and Düşana captive and they retired with Varuņa to their watery castle. Lest his brothers-in-law be killed Rāvana removed the siege and sent directives to the Vidyādharas of all islands. One such came to Pavananjaya and he started forthwith with his army, when crying Anjana came out to give him a sendoff. But he spurned her. She said, 'With your going away life too will depart from me, since it was sustained by your presence only (10). Though struck with these words, Pavanañjaya went away disregarding her.
Encamping on the banks of Mānasa lake, Pavanañjaya saw there the female Cakravāka pathetically bewailing for her dear companion from whom she was separated because of the nighttime. This sight moved Pavanañjaya to imagine the plight of poor Añjanā for all these years and he resolved to shower his love on
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