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HARIVAHANA'S RETURN TO AYODHYA AND BACK TO LAUHITYA IN SEARCH FOR SAMARAKETU (pp. 384 ff.)鈥�(Harivahana continues to narrate his story to Samaraketu.) Everybody, including Tilakamanjari and Malayasundari, was astonished at such a turn of events. I read the message from Kamalagupta which informed me that Samaraketu was inconsolable on my being carried away by the elephant and everybody was much worried about him. When Malayasundari saw that I (i.e. Harivahana) wished to return to Ayodhya and meet Samaraketu, she informed Tilakamanjari who gave me her aeroplane and asked Citramaya to accompany, and return with, me as soon as possible. When we reached the forest fir from where I was carried away by the elephant, we saw

234 the same elephant grazing there. But citramaya pointed out that an elephant could never fly in the sky so the one which kidnapped me must have been some Vidyadhra, and that the one before me was really my own elephant. We rode on that elephant and reached my palace. But I did not find Samaraketu, who, according to one of the princes, had left the place alone at midnight and was last known to have been seen by the brother of the king of the Pragjyotisa region. At this I set out to the North. citramaya urged me to return to Rathanupuracakravala. But I expressed my inability to leave Ayodhya before I met Samaraketu, and bade him to return and console Tilakamanjari, while I set out in search of you (i,e. Samaraketu). Once, on my way, I happened to meet Gandharvaka who told me: "After my departure from Rathanupuracakravala city, Tilakamanjari grow sad and Malayasundari wished to go to Mount Ekasrnga. Tilakamanjari, however, would not allow her to go. She passed her time in playing on the lute, dancing, painting and so on. To-day in the morning when she was looking in the southern direction for my arrival, she saw from the terrace of her palace Citramaya approaching her. He looked dejected and reported to her that Prince Samaraketu, the son of King

} 235 Candraketu of Sinhala country, had set out in search of Prince Harivahana who had been kidnapped by some demon in the form of an elephant. Prince Harivahana had, after reaching Ayodhya, started in pursuit of Samaraketu, but nowhere could he find his friend. At this sad news Malayasundari wept and swooned in pain. When she regained consciousness, Tilakamanjari ordered me (i.e. Gandharvaka) to proceed forthwith to the same forest and bring Prince Harivahana back to the garden near the Adrstapara lake and be at his beck and call with a thousand newly obtained Vidyadhara soldiers detailed under me in order to assist you in your search of Prince Samaraketu. I have, therefore, come to fetch you there." I (i.e. Harivahana) thereupon boarded the aeroplane sent by Tilakamanjari and came to the divine hermitage near the Adrstapara lake where Malayasundari was residing. Therefrom I carried on my search operation with the help of the Vidyadhara soldiers who brought to me daily reports from the Lauhitya headquarter of mine. Thus some days passed.