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TRANSLATION
151
202. Women of famous chastity become endowed with similar
supernatural powers and thus not even when men beat
them can they be induced to accept the worldly life. 203. If somehow or other they are enraged they kill the evil
man just as the man who lusted after Saudāsa's wife
was killed by a puff of her breath. 204. King Saudāsa having established his son in the kingship
went into the forest accompanied by Queen Mrgadanti,
heedless of the world. 205. A lecherous man holding in his hands a very savage bow
entered that forest and espied Mrgadanti. 206. That man of evil conduct and evil intent tried to seize
her but she in her anger burned him up with an expira
tion of breath." 207. Then the bandit leader, his passion dispelled by his 208. mother's words, sold me for much money to the head
of a caravan of merchants who had come from the northern region and he took me intending to make me
his wife. Many times full of desire be besought me - 209. but I did not consent. Then for much money he sold
me to a merchant who had come from the Pārasa coast. 210. He too acquired me for a wife and many a time he talked
to me with persuasive speeches, sometimes civil,
sometimes harsh. 211. As I did not consent in the slightest to his addresses he
took me and fattened my body and drained off my blood. 212. Worms are produced in this; and with blood originating
from the bodies of the worms cloth is tinted and
becomes krmi-rāga. 213. . Bloodless, pallid in body, all my beauty lost, bearing my
body with difficulty I remained there. 214. Then my eldest brother called Dhanapāla by chance
arrived at the Pārasa coast from Ujjain on the king's
business. 275. With great difficulty he recognised me as I wept and,
giving much money to that wretched merchant,
