________________
9. 11. ]
chariot of the other. They gave their own hands (signatures ) to this. The seal was put upon it; and it was deposited in the store-house of the town. Dharana and Devanandi, accompanied by their retinue started with a goodly number of men. Having taken goods as was proper, they started for another country-one for the north and the other for the east.
· In the meantime Laxmi thought "The countries are far off; the separation is easy and the union is difficult; I do not therefore know what I shall come to on the way. He is separated without being killed.". The merchant-sons went one measure. Their wives along with their retinue were sent by Bandhudatta and Panchnandi, having thought of the physical well-being of their sons) after the permission from the elders of the town. [9] The wives along with their attendents met them. Some days passed as they travelled certain measures every day.
On some other time, as the caravan was proceeding onward, Dharana saw in one forest-grove a young Vidyādhara, quite
1
1