Sadyavatsa Kathanakam

Author(s): Pritam Singhvi
Publisher: Parshwa International Shaikshanik aur Shodhnishth Pratishthan

Page 101

हर्षवर्धन-गणि-कृतं सदयवत्स-कथानकम् ruler of Pratişthāna. Rescuing a woman from a mast elephat, machinations of a minister, exile, wanderings in strange countries, princesses pining for the hero, omens and portents, helpful robbers, goddesses, hunchbacks, courtesans, battles, wrestlers, goblins, witches, cemeteries, deserted cities and all the rest of the hot romantic stuff, and numerous well-known motifs fill up the tale. 8. The following is a brief outline of the story according to Bhima.
Sudayavatsa (S.) was the son of king Prabhuvatsa and queen Mahālakṣmi, ruling at Ujjayini. He was a gambling addict. Once he rescued a pregnant Brahmin girl from the clutches of the Royal elephant which had gone mad, by killing it. The king appointed him as heir-apparent in appreciation of this act of bravery. But the minister of the king, fearing to lose the favour of the prince because he had earlier restrained him from spending liberally at the time of his marriage with Sāvalimgā, the princess of Pratisthāna, succeeded in turning the king against S., whom he ordered to leave the kingdom. Sāvalimgā accopanied S. in exile.
Passing through a dreary tract, S. procured water to the thirsty Sāvaliṁgā by offering his blood in exchange. But this turned out to be just a test devised by Harisiddhi, the presiding divinity of Ujjayini. Mightily pleased with his fortitude, she gifted him miraculous dice and cowries and a steel-knife, which made him invincible in gambling games and battles.
Resuming their journey, they came to a temple of Siva where Lilāvati, the daughter of king Dharavira ruling at Dhārā, was practising penance to obtain S. as her husband. S. accepted her. The marriage was celebrated. S. stayed at Dhārā for a few days. Then he left for Pratisthana to deposit Sāvaliṁgā at her father's house. He promised to take Lilavati with him on the return journey.
While passing through a dense forest, S. met a band of five thieves in a den. In a challenge game of gambling they lost against