________________ 200 : Homage to Vaisali The details of this romantic episode are as follows: At the 'svayamvara' of <<Vaisalini' (that is, the princess of Vaisali), daughter of King Visala' of Vaidisal (wrong for Vaideha or Vaisali), Aviksita seized her as she passed him by, defeating other resisting kings. These latter however combined, rallied and jointly attacked the singlehanded Aviksita, captured him by unfair fight and entered Vaidisa (that is, Vaideba or Vaisali) city along with King Visala. The princess Vaisalini still waiting to complete her 'svayamvara', was asked repeatedly to choose her mate from among the victors, but she declined; the astrologers too evaded specifying an auspicious day for (formal) marriage, knowing the real state of her mind. Karandhama, hls Vaisalian queen Vira and their 'samanta's heard the news. While the court was divided on the line of action, Vira championed her son's cause in a heroic speech and roused Karandhama. He defeated the wicked Visala's confederasy, and Visala submitted with offerings of honour, set the captive Aviksita free, and Karandhama rested for the night as Visala's guest. Then Visala came up with his daughter, but Aviksita declined to have her in marriage, nor would he henceforth have the company of any other woman, because of his defeat. Visala next asked his daughter to choose another husband. But Vaisalipi persisted in her choice of Aviksita, whom she, in her argument, justified as really the victor, and asked her father to entreat Aviksita on her behalf; but Aviksita still declined. Thereupon Karandhama commanded his son, since the girl obviously loved him; Aviksita however still refused. Visala again asked his daughter to choose another husband, but she now decided to take to religious penance if Aviksita declined to have her. Karandhama now left Visala's city for his own,-(Evidently Karandhama's capital was not Vaisali itself but a city in the same region, though, later on, his grandson is said to have ruled at Vaisali itself),along with Aviksita, after spending three more days there. Vaisalini went into an asrama' for mortification and then self-immolation, but she was prevented from taking extreme steps by a 'prophecy' which promised her a son who would be a 'universal emperor' (the slayer of Tarujit, Aya and 1. There is an obvious error bere; as in several other known Epic Puranic instances, there is a confusion between Vaidisa and Vaideha in the texts. Here, too, obviously, Vaideha is meantor, better still, probably Vaisali itself is meant; for if the King is Visala and his daughter Vaisalini, his city cannot be other than Vaisali. At most it can be Vaideha, Vaisali itself having been taken possession of by Karandhama at this time. Or, it may have been a new Vaisali after the old one fell to Karandham,
