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370
TILAKAMANJART OF DHANAPĀLA
range of moral etiquettes. It was well within the moral range of the king to honour the Brāhmaṇas by listening to their words of supplication as well as demands.'
Having seen the picture- canvas bearing the image of the maiden of his heart Harivāhana is curious to find out the source of its acquisition. Gandharvaka narrates the tale of the source of its acquisition and explains the full particulars attached to it with the result that the prince is so bewitched by that young lad that he deems it a privilege to have him by his side perennially and not to part company with him even for a second. That is why he cannot desist from showing the necessary etiquette of a formal observance of hospitality the situation demands from him by saying
'Gandharvaka! What should I dare to speak here? My speech fails to get down to the tip of my tongue, being made to lose its working by my intellect brought to the state of strong frequency by your virtues by the veritable ropes as it were comprising of modesty, ingeniousness and affability and others, entered into the heart in their entirety. How can I permit you the beneficent one, by saying 'go'? What should I do? That is the way of the world. The attitude of my mind does not brook the separation from even an ordinary man come to acquaintance not then to speak of a person of your class in whose close proximity this consembly of sweet sayings comes to function and numerous tell-tales come into being, proficiency is attained in arts such as music dance painting and others, the bliss of listening to the humorous skits is tasted and the time is spent with hearts free from anxiety. What wise man would miss a gem of a man procured without a toil through sheer conjunction of healthy merits? Even then, what can be done? You are such whose action is amenable to the others. It is not possible to keep you detained in my vicinity even for a day. Rise up and move off for the accomplishment of the royal mandate. My duty shall remain only to observe you in the southern direction and nothing beyond this.
Thoroughly perplexed under the burden of responsibilities at the loss of Harivāhana Samaraketu stoops a bit low in his behaviour whereby on receiving the news about the arrival of Paritosa the perfect confidant of Kamalagupta, the prince of Kalingas, he loses all control over his person and finding an oasis in the desert in the form of sorrow, he deems that attendant to be a preceptor, a master, one fit to be propitiated, a veritable infuser of life and a duty of one's faith etc. and having ushered him in
1. TM. Vol. II p. 164. 2. Ibid. Vol. III pp 17-18.
