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194 TWO PRAKRIT VERSIONS OF THE MANIPATI-CARITA 729. The muni said : In the city of Ujjain there was a merchant
whose wife was Subhadrā I was their son Yaunaka 730. and my wife who was called śrīmati was in the pride of
youth and beauty. Being very much in love she used
to drink the water in which she washed my feet. 731. She said to me one day: 'Bring me the flesh of the fat
tailed sheep; if you do not bring it at once then certainly
I shall die. 732. I asked her: 'Where are these fat-tailed sheep, my
dear ?’ ‘They are with King Sreņika,' she replied. 733. At those words I set out and after a long time arrived at
the city of Rājagpha. Whilst I was resting for a
moment in the outer park 734. Skilled professional courtesans accompanied by their
retinues, each in her own finery—their ornaments, 735. languages and costumes were from many different
lands-had gone to that park where the festival of the courtesans, surpassing all previous festivals, was taking
place. 736. Like heavenly nymphs who had come down at their
pleasure from the celestial grove they lent lustre to the beauty of the park as they bathed in the embrace
of the lotus pool. 737. They engaged in various pastimes, and games in water
that was golden from the pollen of the kahlāras, kamalas,
kuvalayas, and tāmarasas. 738. There was there a very beautiful courtesan named
Magadhasenā. Suddenly a vidyādhara carried her off. 739. Her retinue screamed and I, who was very ready to
help others, at once engaged him in combat and from
his hand, as he was wounded, 740. she fell into the lotus pool and from it I pulled her out.
She came to me and said: 'I do reverence to your feet.' 741. I said to her: 'Lady, may all happiness and fortune
attend you always'. She replied joining her lotus hands into a bud :
