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CHAPTER ONE
at night Sagara put them in a chariot, escorted them on the road some distance and then returned. As they went forward, they saw in a garden a woman seated in a chariot full of missiles, like a goddess in Nandana. She addressed them respectfully," Why has so much time passed on your part? and they replied, "How do you know who we are?" She said: There was in this city a very wealthy sheth, named Dhanaprabhava, like a brother of Dhanada. I am in addition to eight sons of this excellent sheth, like the Śri of discrimination to the (eight) intellectual qualities.317 Since I have been grown, I have prayed very much to the Yakṣa in this garden to obtain a very superior husband. There is no other desire of women. Pleased by my devotion, the best of Yaksas gave me this boon: Cakravartin Brahmadatta will be your husband. He, whom you see at the cock-fight of Sheths Sagara and Buddhila, marked with a śrīvatsa, accompanied by a friend, of unusual beauty, must be recognized by you. Your first meeting with Brahmadatta will take place when you are staying at my temple.
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So I know that you are he, sir. Come! Come! Calm me suffering from the fire of separation for a long time here by a meeting now like a stream of water.'
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He consented and took command of the chariot as well as her strong affection and asked her, Where must we go?" She said: "In the city Magadha, there is my paternal uncle, Sheth Dhanavaha. He will show us much honor. So we must go from here to there." At this speech of Ratnavati, Brahman's son had the horses urged on by the minister's son as charioteer.
After crossing Kauśāmbi-territory in a moment, Brahman's son arrived at terrifying large forest that was like an amusement-place of Yama. There two chiefs of a robberband, Sukanṭaka and Kaṇṭaka, besieged Brahmadatta, like two dogs a great boar. Immense like sons of the night of the
317 333. See III, p. 339,
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