Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6

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

Page 311

STORIES OP RAUHIŅEYA AND OTHERS 271 nectar-sweet glance at the face of Abhayakumāra, the depository of inborn and other kinds of knowledge;207 and Abhaya, whose name was appropriate, declared to the king: " What cause of anxiety is there? The king of Ujjayini would be my fight-guest today; yet in a matter to be settled by wit, talk of sword against sword is idle. Therefore, I shall use wit. Verily, wit is a cow of plenty for producing victory."
So he planted an iron box with money inside in the ground in the camp of the enemy troops outside the city. At that time the city Rājagrha was surrounded by the troops of King Pradyota, like the earth by the waves of the ocean. Next, Abhaya sent soft-speaking spies to King Pradyota with a letter as follows: "I make no distinction between Queen Sivā and Celaņā.208 Therefore, you are to be honored at all times because of the connection with Queen Sivā. Because of that, Lord of Avanti, I speak to you only from desire for advantage to you. All your princes have been seduced by King Sreņika. Money has been sent them to make them his; and they, after accepting it, will bind you and deliver you to my father. The money has been buried in their dwellings for their benefit. Dig and look. Who, indeed, looks at a fire, when there is a lamp at hand?” After he had been informed to this effect, he (Pradyota) dug up the dwelling ground of one prince and there the money was found. When he had seen this, he fled in great haste. After he had disappeared, the king of Magadha churned his whole army like the ocean and took treasure-elephants, horses, et cetera, on all sides. Then King Pradyota reached his own city somehow or other, by means of a horse swift as the wind, with his breath of life reaching his nostrils. Even the ones who were crowned kings, and other great warriors, disappeared too like crows in flight. For an army without a leader is ruined. With hair
207 118. There are 4 of these, usually called 'buddhis': autpattiki (inborn); pärināmiki a (result of deliberation); vaineyiki (result of teaching); kārmiki (result of karma in past lives).
208 124. Śivā, Pradyota's wife, was the sister of Celaņā, Sreņika's wife..