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that he wondered whether what he saw was only an illusion. As he stood there doubting, a bard recited :
"Hail to thee, moon of Asvasena's heavens, pillar upholding the house of Kuru! Hail to thee Sanatkumara, ruler of the three worlds! Hail to thee, crowned with majesty!"
This reassured Mahendrasimha who now knew that what he saw in front of him was a reality and with his soul filled with joy and a kind of pleasure never felt before he went closer so that Sanatkumāra could easily see him. The prince recognised him and rose to welcome him. Mahendrasimha first fell at his feet and then the two friends were locked up in a close embrace. As the two friends took their seats, the fairies stopped their song and sat down quietly around them. Sanatkumāra had tears of joy in his eyes and asked his friend how exactly he could manage to travel so deep into this dreadful wild wood there. The prince also enquired about his father and mother. He was particularly anxious to know what his separation from them had meant. Mahendrasimha gave him a detailed account. Afterwards he was given a refreshing bath by some of the most beautiful women and treated to all hospitality. He asked Sanatkumāra how exactly he arrived here, at the gorgeous place. The prince said:
"It is not meet that good men tell their own deeds by their own mouths. Therefore, I shall have them told by the mouth of another."
He asked his beloved Vipulamati, the fairy king's daughter who was married to him and was one of the hundreds of girls whom he had married, to relate the whole story to his friend. She was particularly qualified to do so because Sanatkumāra had told her part of it and she had understood the rest of it through her supernatural knowledge. So Sanatkumăra left his friend with his beloved wife and went away to get his afternoon nap. Vipulamati related the adventures of Sanatkumăra in the following manner:
"When the prince was carried away by his horse and his friends lost sight of him, he was taken by the horse into a dreadful forest. He rode on and on till the horse could
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