Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/407

 rakshita, who is famous for his valour and has observed a vow of strict chastity from his youth upwards, and let them all bring their forces, and then do you, thus strengthened by allies, fill every quarter with your hosts, and so accomplish the object you have in view. Moreover, the king of the Kirátas is awaiting your coming from a distance in accordance with your agreement; how have you come to forget this? And no doubt, Máyávațu is ready awaiting your arrival, in the territory of* the king of the Mátangas, for you made this agreement with him. So let us go to the castle named Karabhagríva, on the southern slope of the Vindhyas, in which that chief of the Matangas dwells. And let us summon there Śaktirakshita, the king of the Kirátas, and united with them all make a fortunate expedition with every chance of success.

When Mŗigánkadatta and his ministers heard this speech of Śrutadhi's, which was full of sense and such as the wise would approve, they eagerly accepted it, saying, " So be it." And the next day the prince adored that unresting traveller of the sky, the sun, the friend of the virtuous, that had just arisen, revealing every quarter of the world.† and set out for the abode of Durgapiśácha king of the Mátangas on the southern slope of the Vindhya range. And his ministers Bhímaparákrama, and Vyághrasena, and Gunákara, and Meghabala with Vimalabuddhi, and Sthúlabáhu with Vichitrakatha, and Vikramakeśarin, and Prachandaśakti, and Śrutadhi and Dŗidhamushți followed him. With them he successively crossed forests wide-ranging as his own undertakings, and stretches of woodland profound as his own schemes, with no better refuge at night than the root of a tree ‡ on the shore of a lake, and reached and ascended the Vindhya mountain lofty as his own soul.

Then the prince went from the summit of the mountain down its southern slope, and beholding afar off the villages of the Bhillas full of elephants' tusks and deer-skins, he said to himself, " How am I to know where the dwelling of that king of the Mátangas is? " While engaged in such reflections, he and his ministers saw a hermit boy come towards them, and after doing obeisance to him, they said, " Fair Sir, do you know in what part of this region the palace of Durgapiśácha, the king of the Mátangas, is? For we wish to see him."