Vasudevahimdi Madhyama Khanda Part 1

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

Page 78

Introduction
4. The two Prabhāvatis in VHM
The twenty-second Lambha of VH (Prabhāvati) narrates how V., on the point of being beheaded by Jarasamdha's men under orders, was whisked away by Bhagirathi, who introduced herself as Narasimha's wife and the mother of Balasimha ruling at the Vaijayanti city of the Vidyadharas. She was also mother's mother to Prabhāvati, the daughter of Pingalagadhāra ruling at Puşkalāvati. When she informed v. that Prabhāvati was pining for him, V. requested her to take him to Puşkalavati, because Prabhāvati was his dear benefactress. Accordingly Bhāgirathi carried v. to Puşkalāvati, where the latter married Prabhāvati.
The casual reference in this account leaves us completely in the dark as to when and how Prabhāvati had done some good turn to V. or had obliged him in some way. This clarification we get from the short prefaratory note we find in the preceding Ketumatı Lambha. There we are told that it was Prabhāvati who brought v. to Suvarnapuri to reunite with Somaséri. Some time after his clandestine stay there, V. was detected by Mānasavega, who consequently brought him as a captive to Vaijayanti before king Balasimha to decide the dispute between them. There a fight ensued between V. and Manasavega, who was assisted by Angāraka, Hepphaka, Nilakantha and a large force of Vidyadharas. At that time Prabhāvati gave, V. the Prajñapti Vidyā, which empowered him to defeat his opponents.
The editors of VH have doubted (and according to us, there is good justification for this, the authenticity of this note prefaced to the Ketumati Lambhal The note is scrappy : several sentences are incomplete or elliptical. Besides, what is the point in giving it at this place ? It is obvious that because at the time of preparing this MS copy, the nineteenth and twentieih Lambhas (one of which most probably contained an account of the role of Prabhāvati) were missing in its prototype, the consequent lacuna in the narrative was sought to be filled by that note which was probably prepared by somebody with the help of other sources If we look at the TSP passage containing the present episode
TŚP 8,2, 564-574), we cannot but suspect that the VH note is but a hurried translation of the TSP passage. One of the missing Lambhas of VH must have contained a detailed account of how Prabhāvati brou. ght V. to Somaśrı and how V, ultimately defeated and won over Mānasavega. This also explains the briefness of the Prabhāvati Lambha in VH : it is only the sequel of Prabhāvati's full account. It tells us just how ultimately V, married Prabhāvati 1. Jain differs. He believes the note to be original (JVH p. 91, fn. 2.)