Vasudevahimdi Madhyama Khanda Part 1

Author(s): Dharmdas Gani, H C Bhayani, R M Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 22

Introduction
13
On the second day while V, and his eight wives were watching Prabhāvati from a hidden place, they saw various terrifying disturbances visiting the latter to test her st sad-fastness. Besides there was also seen a Vidyādbara prince Ghanaratha by name who wanted to harass and abduct Prabhavati. With the assistance provided by Hemayaśā's magic power, Mahāgauri. V. killed Gbanaratha in a combat. While congratulating him, Hemayaśā warned him that he was likely to have trouble from Gbanaratba's powerful brother Madanadeva (92-94).
On the third day of Prabhāvali's penance while V. was taking a stroll in the company of his wives, ne saw the beautiful gclden statue of a girl in a theatrical pandal. Seeing him highly impressed by its beauty, Hemayaśā told him that if he was prepared to go through the marriage ceremony with that statue,spend thereafter one night with her in bed, and then show it to Prabhāvati, the latter will attain at that very moment the mastery of the magic Vidyā, such being the rule. V. volunteered at once (95-96). 1 he marriage ceremony with the statue was performed with great pomp. When at night V. embraced the statue of the girl, it came alive. V. passed the night with her in enjoyment. In the morning the girl again turned into a statue. (96-98).
Taking it with him, V. went to Prabhāvali wbo immediately attained Prajñaptividya. Then Prabbavali performed the worship of Rşabha, of Dharana Nāga and of Vasudeva alongwith the statue. Hemayaśā said that the ritual rules required the statue to be throws in water, and promptly she herself took hold of the statue and threw it in the lake. But coming to life, the girl swam back to V. (98-99). She then unveiled the mystery. She was Ghaparat ha's sister Meghamālā. Gahanaratha, with incurable weakness for women, ooce abducted seventeen princesses, the daughters of the king of Sakata. Wishing to perfrom the marriage ceremony secretly, he brought them at Nandanavana. Megha mālā alongwith her five cousin sisters had accompanied him. (99-103). While he was waiting for an auspicious moment for the marriage-ceremony, Ghanaratha saw Prabhāvati performing penance. Atira.
ted by her, he began to harass her. He was killed by V. As Meghamāla knew from a monk's prediction that V. was to be her busband, she devised a plas: she became statue througb her magic powers. The rest was known. 103-104)
IV Winning of twentytwo girls
( pp. 105-111 )
When V. expressed willingness to accept as his wives the five Vidya. hara girls and seventeen buman girls, all abducted by Gbanaratha and