________________
TRANSLATION
31
Saying so she stopped. On hearing this, RAVIDATTA for a moment remained perplexed as to what should be done. He was tortured on the one hand by bashfulness, on the other by love, on the one hand by discrimination, on the other by agitation, on the one hand by the instructions of the elders, on the other by the intoxication of youth. After sometime he thought-let it be so at present'-- and spoke tenderly, with affection, to SANGAMIKĀ: “Is there anything that remains for me to be said? The eyes of your mistress even by chance do not fall on the unfortunate, what to say of a heart full of love? All people desire her company, and the fact that she desires (anyone) is not possible even for Desire to desire. Therefore, I accept what you say. But this is contrary to my rank and position, so as my relations and elders ............ .......................... ........... .................. .......................... ............ .................. (But RAVIDATTA after going there once, habitually went to her and gave her riches. Though his elders came to know about it--) (25) thinking that what he gives is very little, he every day gave her costly ornaments, hundreds of gold pieces and various clothes, giving up the sense of shame and disregarding his elders' instruction.
She perfectly understood his Nili rāga and arranging picnics, festival of the third, religious pilgrimages and receiving presents from him she divested him of all his wealth and made him a pauper. Then through SANGAMIKA she sent him a word:
"Today an old acquaintance, a merchant prince called VASUDATTA, has come from Suvarnadvipa after amassing a lot of wealth. Being attached to VINAYAVATI he moves about here and there saying that if she calls him even for a night he will give away all his wealth to her. Therefore you should stay at your place for two or three days ...... (All this wealth has been) given by you and this also will be of use to you".
Having told him thus, he was driven out. RAVIDATTA sat in his home considering what she would be thinking ........ would she be united with him? Would he not become her lover alsothus he neither ate, nor slept, nor spoke, nor heard. He did not find peace anywhere as if he was pierced by a thorn in the vitals, and as if bit by a scorpion.
When two-three days passed thus he went to VINAYAVATI'S house in the company of Capalaka. He moved about to and fro. No one talked to him, no one noticed him. On seeing him they insulted him. Even then, with his passion redoubled, he
For Private & Personal Use Only
Jain Education International
www.jainelibrary.org
