Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/209

 kakalaśa and his followers were respectfully testifying their devotion to him, all the gods came there, headed by Brahmá and Vishnu. And pleased with the goodness of Vinítamati, they all gave him by their divine power boons earned by his disinterestedness, and then disappeared. And Somaśúra and the others told their history, and then Vinítamati went with them to another and a heavenly wood of ascetics.

" So you see that in this world even those who are reduced to ashes meet again, much more men who are alive and can go where they will. So, my son, no more of abandoning the body ! Go, for you are a brave man, and you shall certainly be re-united with Mrigánkadatta." When I had heard this tale from the old female ascetic, I bowed before her, and set out, sword in hand, with renewed hope, and in course of time I reached this forest, and was, as fate would have it, captured by these śavaras, who were seeking a victim for Durgá. And after wounding me in fight, they bound me, and brought me as a prisoner to this king of the Śavaras Máyávatu. Here I have found you, my sovereign, accompanied by two or three of your ministers, and by your favour I am as happy as if I were in my own house.

When Mrigánkadatta, who was in the palace of the Śavara prince, had heard this history of the adventures of his friend Gunakara told by himself, he was much pleased, and after he had seen the proper remedies applied to the body of that minister who had been wounded in fight, as the day was advancing, he rose up with his other friends, and performed the duties of the day.

And he remained there for some days engaged in restoring Gunákara to health, though eager to go to Ujjayiní, in order to be re-united with his other friends and to obtain Śaśánkavatí,*

Then Gunákara's wounds healed, and he recovered his health, so Mrigánkadatta took leave of his friend the king of the Śavaras, and set out from his town on a lucky day for Ujjayiní, to find Śaśankavatí. But his friend followed him a long way with his retinue, accompanied by his ally Durgapiśacha king of the Mátangas, and made a promise to come to his assistance. And as he was going along with his friends Śrutadhi, and Vimalabuddhi, and Gunákara, and Bhímaparákrama, and searching for his other friends in that Vindhya forest, it happened that he slept one