Book Title: Vasudevahimdi Madhyama Khanda Part 1
Author(s): Dharmdas Gani, H C Bhayani, R M Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Page 39
________________ 30 Vasudevahima: Majjhima-khamda somewhere the magic charm to win the dice play. In the gambling match, Nala lost to Kübara everything including Damadant. Damadanti. Advised to show mercy, Kübara let go Damadant with Naia. Under his orders they left the country taking with them nothing but a chariot and some provisions. While passing through a forest, robbers took away from them everything except their clothes. They entered a thick forest. Nala advised Damadanti to go to her father's house, but she was most unwilling to part his company. So while Damadanti was asleep, Nala left her. Before running away, he wrote on the path instructions for Damadanti to go either to Vidarbha or to Kosala. When Damadanti woke up, she found that Nala had deserted her. She lamented piteously. She came across the message Nala had written on the path. Wandering helplessly she got utterly exhausted. At night she slept in a thicket, where a python began to swallow her by the right leg. She appealed to it to release her in the name of the power of her chastity, and struck it on the head. The python released her leg. She moved away. But immediately a terrible lion faced her. He also left without harming her, as she addressed the same appeal to him. Thereafter two Pulinda tribals caught hold of her. They fought with each other over her possession, and both of them perished fighting. Moving further she came across a caravan encamping in the forest. She told the caravan-leader that she was a bania girl. Escorted by her husband she was going to her father's house in the company of a party of travellers. Last night her husband disappeared somewhere. Going in search of him she had lost her path. The caravanleader brought Damadanti to Acalapura, ruled over by king Ripusatru and queen Candray aśa. The queen was Damadanti's Damadant's mother's sister, but Damadanti did not know this fact. The queen's maids, fetching water from a well saw Damadanti and impressed by her beauty and her tale. of woe, they took her to the queen. the queen. The latter was impressed by the girl's resemblance to her niece Damadanti. But the latter introduced herself as a bania girl and repeated the story she had told to the caravan-leader. Out of compassion, the queen gave her shelter. Damadant lived there like an elder sister of the princess Candravati. She was full of sorrow on Nala's account. (pp. 241) about the exile of Nala When Damadanti's parents came to know and Damadan11, they sent search-parties in all Brahmana called Harimitra during his search met the king and queen. They were pained to know about Nala's directions. A trusted to Acalapura and Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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