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Vol. XXXV, 2012
Rșidattācaritra-samgrahaḥ
167
messenger came and reported that in the city named Mamgalāvatū, Prītimatī, the princess of the King Priyadarśana and the queen Viduptabhā, was bitten by a poisonous cobra. On hearing this, the king immediately set out, when there and cured the princess by removing the poison, and the father of the girl, got her married with the king.
After enjoying with her some time, the king handed over the rule of the kingdom to his young son Ajitasena and took to asceticism. Prītimati, too, followed the royal husband, and both of them came to the hermitage of the mendicant Viśvabhūti, and undertook penance under his guidance. In the fifth month Pritimatī found that she had conceived and she was ashamed. Having come to know of her pregnancy the Head of the hermitage inquired of the king in solitude and the king told it to his beloved. She said she did not know about her having conceived. At the time the Sun sat and the Moon arose.
Among the ascetics the two became a subject of hatred, and they thought of going away elsewhere. Both passed the night in uneasiness. In the morning, as the Sun arose, they were astonished to see the hermitage bereft of the ascetics, and began to run away in confusion. At that moment they saw an aged ascetics, who informed them that, along with the ascetics, Viśvabhūtimuni had left on seeing them both doing such a act like householders. And, then, he, too, left. Harisena came into the cottage, and after due time of nine months and seven days and a half, Prītimati gave birth to that girl, who was named 'Rsidattā', and then unluckily her mother died of the puerperal disease.
Having performed the funeral rites of the wife, the father looked after the daughter, and raised her up till she attained the age of eight years. Then, thinking that the Bhīls, living in the forest, may kidnap the beautiful girl, the father applied the eye-ointment in her eyes and made her invisible. Then, he told the prince that it was only at that time that he saw the girl. Then, there developed love between the prince and the girl. The mendicant, too, having known their mutual feelings, got them married, saying to the prince: 'O Prince ! Since you are my guest, I give you this girl to you,' When the Prince invited the mendicant for meals, but the latter declined saying that nothing else then fruits and roots is accepted by the ascetics. The prince went to his camp and took the dinner, along with his paraphernalia. He passed some time happily in company of his wife. One day, the mendicant told the prince: 'O Prince ! O the Support - of - the - World ! What would I say
