Chapter LXXIII.
Then Guṇákara’s wounds healed, and he recovered his health, so Mṛigánkadatta took leave of his friend the king of the Śavaras, and set out from his town on a lucky day for Ujjayiní, to find Śaśánkavatí.
But his friend followed him a long way with his retinue, accompanied by his ally Durgapiśácha king of the Mátangas, and made a promise to come to his assistance. And as he was going along with his friends Śrutadhi, and Vimalabuddhi, and Guṇákara, and Bhímaparákrama, and searching for his other friends in that Vindhya forest, it happened that he slept one day on the road with his ministers at the foot of a certain tree. And he suddenly awoke, and got up, and looked about him, and beheld there another man asleep. And when he uncovered his face, he recognised him as his own minister Vichitrakatha, who had arrived there. And Vichitrakatha too woke up, and saw his master Mṛigánkadatta, and joyfully embraced his feet. And the prince embraced him, with eyes wide open with delight at seeing him so unexpectedly, and all his ministers woke up and welcomed him. Then all in turn told him their adventures, and asked him to tell his, and Vichitrakatha began to relate his story as follows: