Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/489

 had heard from Devamáya, and having reflected over the matter in his own mind, gave up the idea, and went to visit the kingly sage Akampana in the grove of ascetics. And when he reached that ascetic grove, it was crowded with great sages, engaged in contemplation, sitting in the posture called padmásana, and so resembled the world of Brahmá. There he saw that aged Akampana, wearing matted hair and a deerskin, looking like a great tree resorted to by hermits. So he went and worshipped the feet of that ascetic, and that royal sage welcomed him and said to him, " You have done well, king, in coming to this hermitage, for if you had passed on neglectful of it, these hermits here would have cursed you."

While the royal sage was saying this to the emperor, Mandaradeva, who was staying in that grove of ascetics, having taken the vows of a hermit, came to his father, accompanied by his sister, the princess Mandaradeví. And Naraváhanadatta, when he saw him, embraced him, for it is fitting that truly brave men should show kindness to foes when conquered and pacified. Then the royal sage Akampana, seeing Mandaradeví come with her brother, said to that emperor, " Here, king, is my daughter, Mandaradeví by name; and a heavenly voice said that she should be the consort of an emperor; so marry her, emperor, for I give her to you."

When the royal sage said this, his daughter said, " I have four com- panions here, of like age, noble maidens; one is a maiden called Kanakavati, the daughter of Kánchanadanshțra; the second is the daughter of Kálajihva, Kálavatí by name; the third is the offspring of Dirghadanshțra named Śrutá; the fourth is the daughter of the king of Paundra, named Ambaraprabhá; and I am the fifth of those Vidyádhara maidens. We five, when roaming about, saw previously in a grove of ascetics this my destined husband, and setting our hearts on him, we made an agreement together that we would all, at one and the same time, take him for our husband, but that, if any single one married him alone, the others should enter the fire, and lay the guilt at her door. So it is not fitting that I should marry without those friends of mine; for how could persons like myself commit the outrageous crime of breaking plighted faith?"

When that self-possessed lady had said this, her father Akampana summoned those four Vidyadhara chiefs, who were the fathers of the four maidens, and told them exactly what had occurred, and they immediately thought themselves very fortunate, and brought those maidens their daughters. Then Naraváhanadatta married the five in order, beginning with Mandaradevi. And he remained there with them many days, worshipping the hermits three times a day, at dawn, noon, and sunset, while his attendants held high festival.

And Akampana said to him, " King, you must now go to the Rishabha