Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/465

 heroes of Naraváhanadatta's army. Then Gaurímunda, having regained strength, rushed with a loud shout towards Naraváhanadatta, and fell on him to try his strength in wrestling. And being beaten by him in wrestling, the cogging Vidyádhara again summoned up that science, and by its power he seized his antagonist in his arms and flew up to the sky. However, he was prevented by the might of Dhanavatí's science from slaying the prince, so he flung him down on the mountain of fire.

But Mánasavega seized his comrades Gomukha and the rest, and flew up into the sky with them, and flung them at random in all directions. But, after they had been flung up, they were preserved by a science in visible shape employed by Dhanavatí, and placed in different spots on the earth. And that science comforted those heroes, one by one, saying to them, " You will soon recover that master of yours successful and flourishing," and having said this it disappeared. Then Gaurímunda went back home with Mánasavega, thinking that their side had been victorious.

But Dhanavatí said, " Naraváhanadatta will return to you after he has attained his object, no harm will befall him;" and thereupon the lords of the Gandharvas and princes of the Vidyádharas, Chitrángada and the others, flung off their paralysing stupor, and went for the present to their own abodes. And Dhanavatí took her daughter Ajinávatí, with all her fellow-wives, and went to her own home.

Mánasavega, for his part, went and said to Madanamanchuká, " Tour husband is slain; so you had better marry me;" but she, standing in front of him, said to him laughing, " He will slay you, no one can slay him, as he has been appointed by the god."

But when Naraváhanadatta was being hurled down by his enemy on the mountain of fire, a certain heavenly being came there, and received him; and after preserving his life, he took him quickly to the cool bank of the Mandákiní. And when Naraváhanadatta asked him who he was he comforted him, and said to him, " I, prince, am a king of the Vidyádharas named Amritaprabha, and I have been sent by Śiva on the present occasion to save your life. Here is the mountain of Kailása in front of you the dwelling-place of that god; if you propitiate Śiva there, you will obtain unimpeded felicity. So, come, I will take you there." When that noble Vidyádhara had said this, he immediately conveyed him there and took leave of him, and departed.

But Naraváhanadatta, when he had reached Kailása, propitiated with asceticism Ganeśa, whom he found there in front of him. And after obtaining his permission, he entered the hermitage of Śiva, emaciated with self-mortification, and he beheld Nandin at the door. He devoutly circumambulated him, and then Nandin said to him, " Thou hast well-nigh attained all thy ends; for all the obstacles that hindered thee have now been