Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 4

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 348

THE ABANDONMENT OF SĪTĀ
313
Lakşmana's household (239-252) Now, in the city Ratnapura, an ornament of the south row on Mt. Vaitādhya, there was a king Ratnaratha. He had a grown daughter, named Manoramă (Charming), also charming in form, by Candramukhi. As the king was considering, "To whom must this maiden be given ?” Nārada approached and said, "She is worthy of Lakşmaņa." Ratnaratha's daughter, angered because of family enmity, instructed the servants by lifting an eyebrow, “Beat this clown." Clever Nārada saw that they had got up with the intention of beating him, flew up like a bird, and went to Lakşmaņa. Nārada made a picture of the girl on canvas, showed it to Laksmaņa, and related his own acts fully. Lakşmaņa fell in love at sight of her picture at once and went there with Rāma, surrounded by Rakşases and Vidyādharas. Quickly conquered by Saumitri, Ratnaratha gave the maiden Sridāmā to Rāma and Manoramā to Lakşmaņa. After conquering all the south row of Vaitādhya, the two Rāghavas returned to Ayodhyā and continued directing the earth.
In Lakşmaņa's household there were sixteen thousand women. Among them were eight chief-queens: Višalyā, Rupavati, Vanamālā, Kalyāṇamālikā, Ratimālikā, Jitapadmā, Abhayavati, and Manoramă, the eighth. There were two hundred and fifty sons and among these were eight born of the chief-queens: Sridhara, son of Višalyā; Prthvítilaka, son of Rūpavatī; the son of Vanamālā, named Arjuna; Śrīkesin, son of Jitapadmā; Mangala, son of Kalyānā; Supārsvakīrti, son of Manoramă; Vimala, son of Ratimālā; and Satyakirtika, son of Abhayavati.
Rāma's household (253–257) Rāma had four chief-queens: Maithili, Prabhāvati, Ratinibhā, and Sridāmā, the fourth. One time Sītā, after taking her purificatory bath, saw a dream at the end of the night: two śarabhas, that had fallen from a celestial car,