9. SIXTH CANTO

SIXTH CANTO

When Mankandhara was at the srisaila, Abhinavakaumudi, an apsarasa maden, came running towards him, gave him a miraculous sword and requested him to save her from Salyasura who was pursuing her. Courageous as he was, he had a terrible fight with the demon which resulted in each slaying the other. Mankandhara, who died in that fight, was subsequently born as Kalāpūrna; and Abhinavakaumudi marned him in accordance with her oath. Once again requested by Alaghuvrata, the baby told him his past history describing the loss of his property, the parting from his wives, the birth of the four Agamas and their entry into the service of Madasaya. Now Satvadatman approached the baby for information regarding his antecedents which he was quite unable to remember. The central gem of the manthara falling off her heart, the baby lost her supernatural powers and began to weep. No one was able to know the cause of this sudden change. 25

Kalāpurna, promising to marry her, asked her parents to bring her up with proper care.

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH CANTOS As years passed by, Madhuralalasa, as that was the name of that baby, grew up into a young and beautiful maiden and was mared to Kalapurna. Later on the king, to keep up his word given to his two wives, undertook an expedition of conquest and vanquished all the kngs. Abhinavakaumudi was presented with the uina and Madhuralalasa with a pair of anklets studded with the crown-jewels of all the princes. When Satvadatman came with that present and was about to bow to her, Madhuralalasa protested against it and paid homage to him. She then revealed his past history to her husband. Satvadatman's onginal name was Sugraha; he was the brother of Rupanubhuti. Coming to know of his pedigree and good qualities, varous kings requested him to accept their daugh- ters as his wives. Because he did not care to reply to them, all of

G. V. Knshna Rao

them besieged his capital. Perturbed by this turn of events, he stole into the forest and performed penance as a result of which he obtained the manihara. Later on, however, a curse was pro- nounced upon him to the effect that he would forget his past history up to that event and not be recognised by other people also who knew him. He would be redeemed from his curse only when he came to know of that event. Thus he lost the manihara which had the power to reveal everything when its central gem touched the heart of the wearer. It first fell into the hands of a Brahmana who presented it to Krsna. Krsna gave it to Manikandhara who in turn gave it to Alaghuvrata. How at length it reached Madhuralalasa was too well-known to need comment. Because the central gem fell off the heart of the baby, Madhuralalasa, she was not able to disclose Satvadatman's past history. All this, Madhuralalasa came to know only at that time.

26 Later on both Kaläpurna and Madhuralalasa utilsed the manhara to know not only Manikandhara's poem Laksminārayana Samvāda but also the social and political condi- tions of their kingdom as they really were. The monarch begot two sons Suprasada and Sarasa by his wives Abhinavakaumudi and Madhuralalasa respectively. Thus he lived a long and happy life with no longing unsatisfied and with nothing to crave for.

Studies in Kalapurnodauam