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90
ŚRNGARAMAÑJARIKATHA
possessing a cool delicious fragrance grew profusely producing the illusion of the rutting elephant of the Fish-bannered One, entering slowly the depths of the garden;
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.............................................................. (Afterwards MÜLADEVA found out that his wife was carrying on with a merchant by name DATTAKA, and the king's chief queen too was unfaithful to the king by going every night to her paramour, the king's elephant driver. One night he followed her and saw that the elephant-driver lashed her with a chain for being late. The next day the disillusioned MÜLADEVA told the king about it.) (87).
(88) The king was surprised and asked MŪLADEVA: "MÜLADEVA, what is this? This is indeed wonderful. Please satisfy my curiosity by saying what it is." Folding his hands MÜLADEVA said: "Sire, if you give me the promise of fearlessness then I shall tell you. Your Majesty should not punish me then.” Saying this he said to the queen: "Madam, without the paramour the food cannot be relished. Therefore call the king's elephant-driver, BATHARAKA". Being wonderstruck the King said: "MÜLADEVA, what is this?". MÜLADEVA said: "Bare the body of this queen and see it." When the king did that and looked at it then he saw the swollen marks of the chains. MÜLADEVA made his foolish wife sit on the second seat and said: “You also call your paramour, the mer. chant by name DATTAKA", and then said: "Sire, it was indeed your favour that I was married. I knew the conduct of women, therefore I never married. But by your lordship's order I accepted and married this foolish person. The result is the same. They (women) are sinful and of wicked conduct, who can trust them? There is no king like yourself, nor is there a master of rogues like myself, not a wise man like KAPĂLASIKHA. When they can deceive even us what can happen to the other poor people?” The king arrested the elephantdriver, confiscated DATTAKA'S wealth, and outcasted him, and cut off the nose and ears of CILLAMAHĀDEVI and giving only morsels of food put her into prison.
Therefore, my child, there are harlots of good characters, and there are family-women who fall in love at the first sight and carry
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