Vasudevahimdi Madhyama Khanda Part 1

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

Page 25

16
Vasudevahindi : Majjhima-khamda
Kanakaratha decided to terminate bis journey there. He married Rşidattā. The hermir Harişeņa immalated himself on a pyre. Kapakaratha set out on his way back. Rşıdattā scattered on the way at intervals the miraculous seeds of a quick-growing tree that were given to her by her departing father. When the party reached Ratham ardana, the royal family gave a welcome. Rșidattā spent five years quite happily (pp. 127-128).
Reports of Kanakaratha's marriage with a hermit's daughter reached Ring Sundarapāņi. Princess Rūpiņi was very unhapppy at such a turn of events. She cherished an ardent desire for marrying Kanakaratha. Once a Yogidi, by oame Sulasā, who was adept in miraculous Vidyās, visited Kāveri and she became intimate with the princess Rūpiņi. When she learnt about Rūpiņi's frustration in her propos:d marriage with Kanakartha, she promised to help her and bring Kapkaratha to Kāveri ( pp. 128-129 ).
Sulasă went to Rathamardana. By means of her miraculous powers, she started clandestinely murdering one palace guard every night, entering thereafter the bedroom of Kapakaratba, besmearing the mouth and hands of the sleeping Rsidatta with blood and depositing human flesh near her pillow. Kanakaratha became coovinced that Rşidattā bad became a Rákşası. He pleaded with her to desist from that kind of heinous acts. She tried to convince him of her innocence. King Hemaratha suspected some foul play by the leaders of the heterodox sects and ordered their expulsion. But Sulasā showed to him through her usual frame-up that Rşidaitā was the culprit. The king ordered her to be executed. She was taken to a cemetary. She offered her ornaments and clothes to the executors, who ultimately relented and let her go (pp. 130-133).
Rşidattā fled towards south. Being guided by the trees that had grown up from the seeds formerly scattered by her, she reached her father's hermitage after facing great dangers and difficulties (133–135). She cleaned the hermitage along with the adjoinig shrine, and lamented over her lost father and the happy days of her childhood. She stayed there all alone and in constant fright of wild animals and tribes. Recalliog her father's instruction, she obtained from the forest a miraculous herb. Tearing open her left thigh, she put that herb inside. Immediately she was transformed into a male. She wore matted hair agd bark garments and lived there like a hermit (pp. 135. 136 ).
Shortly after this, on receiving message from Sundarapāņi, Hemaratha sent Kangkaratha to marry princess Rūpiņi. On his way Kanakaratbą