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70
ŚRNGĀRAMAÑJARIKATHĂ
Again she queried "What is that?" He said: "This lady has been seen by the king, and he has told me that I should take her to the king. If she comes not, her ears and nose would be cut off and I would be killed.” Hearing these words LĀVAŅYASUNDARI was alarmed. CITRALEKHA asked her to go to the king for RATNADATTA was away for four days. And she could keep her necklace there. In the evening she reluctantly went to the king's palace. The king enjoyed her (company). In the early morning when she returned to her place, the king sent with SANGAMAKA one lakh drammas along with rich garments as a gift, of which she took only seventeen gold pieces.
"What is this? It is wonderful”-SANGAMAKA exclaimed. She said: "I will only take my wages. (65) I will accept all this only on the condition that the king would allow me to go away at my will." When SANGAMAKA narrated it to the king and the king accepted her condition, she accepted the gifts and disbursed them among the supplicants. She thus passed three days in the company of the king
The following day the king called her to show her folk dancing. She knew it was the day of his (RATNADATTA'S) return. She dressed up, instructed her maid to stand near the elephant's post and show her the necklace as soon as RATNADATTA was seen coming. She went to the palace, and the king said "Show us some folk dancing." She said "all right” and started dancing. Now while the dance was going on, she took a step backwards and saw her maid standing near the elephant's post. She looked at the king. The king understood her intention and as he said "you are free." With her hair dishevelled she hurried back to her house.
Her behaviour made the king curious. He said to SANGAMAKA: "What sort of man is he whom she loves madly, that giving up our shame she lets herself go like this?” With a desire to see what was happening he followed her and as he was looking through the latticed window he saw RATNADATTA coming. LAVANYASUNNDARI approached him with a water-vessel to wash his feet. Seeing her differently attired RATNADATTA said to SUBANDHU: "Good SUBANDHU, while we are talking about the news of the house, water has entered," and he said to her; "LAVANYASUNDARI, do not wash my feet. You are my mother." She asked pointedly, “RATNADATTA, what is this?” “What else? You are the wife of my master. Enough of this, please sit down."
The king said to SANGAMAKA "Friend, did you hear his words? His modesty outweighs his grace. Well, we will reveal ourselves." So saying, leaving the latticed window, he desired to
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