Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/410

 I consider myself fortunate and successful. When the king of the Mátangas had said this, he gave him a present of pearls, musk, and other rarities. And the prince kindly accepted it with the usual courtesies. Then they all encamped there. That great forest was covered all over with elephants fastened to posts, with horses in stables, and tented footmen; and was scarcely able to contain itself, being confused with its good fortune in thus being assimilated to a city, which was unprecedented in the course of its existence. Then, in that wood, when Mŗigánkadatta had bathed in the river for good fortune, and had taken food, and was sitting at his ease, in a secluded spot, surrounded by his ministers, Máyávațu also being present, Durgapiśácha said to Mŗigánkadatta, in the course of conversation, speaking in a tone softened by affection and regard, " This king Máyávațu came here a long time ago, and has been remaining here with me, my lord, awaiting your orders. So where, my prince, have you all remained so long? And what have you done? Tell me, now, the business that detained you." When the prince heard this speech of his, he said, " After I had left the palace of our friend here Máyávațu, with Vimalabuddhi and Gunákara, and Śrutadhi, and Bhímaparákrama, whom I had also recovered, I found on my way this Prachandasákti and Vichitrakatha, and in course of time also this Vikramakeśarin. Then these men here found on the borders of a beautiful lake a tree sacred to Ganeśa, and climbed up it to pick its fruit, and so were turned into fruits themselves by the curse of the god. Then I propitiated Ganeśa, and not without difficulty set them free, and at the same time I delivered these other four ministers of mine, Dridhamushți and Vyághrasena and Meghabala and Sthúlabáhu, who had previously suffered the same transformation. With all these, thus recovered, I went to Ujjayiní; but the gates were guarded, and we could not even enter the town; much less could we think of any device for carrying off Śaśánkavatí. And as I had no army with me, I had no locus standi for sending an ambassador. So we deliberated together, and came here to you. Now, my friend, you and your allies have to decide whether we shall attain our end or no."

When Mŗigánkadatta had related his adventures in these words, Durgapiśácha and Mayávațu said, " Be of good courage; this is but a little matter for us to accomplish at once; our lives were originally created for your sake. We will bring here that king Karmasena in chains, and we will carry off his daughter Śaśánkavatí by force."

When the king of the Mátangas and Máyávațu said this, Mŗigánkadatta said lovingly and very respectfully, " What will you not be able to accomplish, for this resolute courage of yours is a sufficient guarantee that you will carry out that furtherance of your friend's interests which you