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this idea. “ Kanakacüda said " Then, let us go there”. Sūraséna Kumāra accepted the proposal, and both of them having mounted an aerial car went there,
After having thoroughly made inquries in every part of the forest, for Sūraséua Kumāra led astray by the vicious horse, the army of soldiers despatches fus iisqui:ies, could not get any scent of the whereabouts of the Kumāra and returued to Śripura jos lessly and disappointedly. The king wai duly informed of the failure of inquiries. On hearing the news of the disappearance of the Kumāra the King was immensely afflicted is if all his belongingu were stolei) away, and having left off food and drink, he started from his capital towi with the object of making personal inquiries about Sürséna Kumāra, accompained by the four divisions of bis army, by females of his harem, and by Ratnāvali who was suffering intensely from pangs of separation, and eventually reached the interior of the Kādambari forest. The king then sent his servant in all the directions with the object of making thorough itquiries. One day during their wanderings here and there, the servants met with a mountaineer with a ring inscribed with the oame of the Kumāra, on his finger and distressed with a painful idea lest he may have killed Sūraséna Kumāra, they brought him into ine presence of the king. The king with a well-balance: mind asked him, O innocent man! Tell me from whom did you get this jewelled ring ? Where is prince Sürasena?“ On seeing the king. accompanied by elephants, horses, chariots, warri,rs, and other ensigns of royal wealth, the mountaineer greatly agitated with confusion, begun to give a mulually contradiciory account of Sūraséna Kuināra wilh a saltering speech. The King said "Ab! troin mutually contradiciory stkiennents, it siems he has killed Sūrasena Kumăra; otherwise how can be get the jewelled ring? Who can ever snatch away the precious gem from the hood of a living chief of serpents? However, keep him in a vigilant custody for five days." I cannot understand he real state. The diversio!hs of Fate are of deep significance." Uuder orders of the king, bis servants tied the mountaineer with sellers. The
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