Then Amaradatta entered the palace of Máyávaṭu, and saw Śaśánkavatí, his future daughter-in-law, who bowed at his feet. And after accepting a present, he departed with the queen and that daughter-in-law, and took up his quarters in his own camp. And there he took food with his son and all the kings, and spent that day agreeably with song, music, and dancing. And he thought that all his objects in life had been gained, thanks to his son Mṛigánkadatta, the future emperor, who had attained so much glory.
And in the meanwhile the wise king Karmasena, after deliberating, sent off an ambassador to Mṛigánkadatta with the following message, which was contained in a letter, and also intended to be delivered by word of mouth; “I know that you will not come to Ujjayiní; so I will send to you my own son Susheṇa; he will bestow on you with due ceremonies his sister Śaśánkavatí; so you ought not, blameless one, to marry her in an irregular manner, if you value my friendship.”
And when the prince had heard this message delivered in the royal hall of audience, his father the king himself gave this answer to the ambassador; “Who but king Karmasena would send such a gracious message? That excellent monarch is truly well-disposed to us; so let him send here his son Susheṇa; we will so order matters as that his daughter’s marriage shall give him satisfaction.” When the king had given this answer and dismissed the messenger with due honours, he said to his son, and Śrutadhi, and the kings, “We had better go now to Ayodhyá; that is the place where the marriage can be performed with most éclat; and there we can entertain Susheṇa with becoming magnificence. And let king Máyávaṭu wait here for Susheṇa; when that prince arrives he can come on after us to Ayodhyá with him. But we will go on in front to make the necessary preparations for the marriage.” And all present approved this speech of the king’s.
Then, the next day, the king with the queen and his soldiers, and Mṛigánkadatta with the kings and his ministers, started off with Śaśánkavatí, exulting in their success, leaving Máyávaṭu to wait there for Susheṇa. Their army moved on like a deep and terrible sea, agitated with hundreds of waves in the form of troops of bounding horses, filling all the horizon with a flood of countless marching footmen, rendering all other sounds inaudible with the confused din that arose from it. And gradually advancing, father and son reached the palace of Śaktirakshita the king of the Kirátas, that lay in their course.
There they and their attendants were courteously and generously welcomed with heaps of valuable jewels, gold, and splendid garments. And they stayed there one day with their army, taking food and resting, and then they set out and reached in course of time their city of Ayodhyá. It seemed like a lake in windy weather, as they entered it: for the ladies of the city that had climbed up to the windows of the palaces, as they moved to and fro, seemed like swaying full-blown lotuses, sending forth shoots of beauty; and their rolling eyes eager to behold the prince, who after a long absence had returned, bringing a bride with him, were like dancing blue lilies; it was crowded with assembling kingly swans; and tossing with wavy banners. And father and son looked grand, as they sat on thrones, being blessed by the Bráhmans, praised by heralds, and hymned by bards.
And when the people there saw the great beauty of Śaśánkavatí, they exclaimed in their astonishment, “If they were to behold this daughter of Karmasena, the Ocean would cease to boast of the beauty of his daughter Lakshmí, and the Himálaya would no longer pride himself on Gaurí.” And then, when the festival came on, the quarters, re-echoing the sound of the auspicious drums of rejoicing, as it were, gave notice to the kings. And the whole city was full of exultation, and the vermilion colours that covered it throughout, seemed like its red glow of affection overflowing in external form.
The next day the astrologers fixed an auspicious date for the prince’s marriage, and his father king Amaradatta began to make preparations for it. And the city was filled so full of various jewels, coming from all quarters, that it put to shame the city of Kuvera.
And soon a servant of king Máyávaṭu’s came to the sovereign in high spirits, introduced by the warder, and said to him, “King, prince Susheṇa and king Máyávaṭu have arrived, and they are both waiting on the frontier of this realm of Ayodhyá.” When king Amaradatta heard that, he sent his own general with a body of soldiers to meet Susheṇa. And Mṛigánkadatta, out of regard for his friend, also went out with the general from Ayodhyá to meet the prince. And both of those princes dismounted, while yet a great distance apart, and met together, embracing one another and asking after one another’s health. And out of love they entered the city in the same chariot, giving a great feast to the eyes of the ladies of the city.
And there Susheṇa had an interview with the king, and was received by him with much respect, and then he went to the private apartments of his sister Śaśánkavatí. There she rose up weeping and embraced him, and he sat down, and said to the princess who was overwhelmed with shame, “My father directs me to tell you that you have done nothing unbecoming, for he has just come to learn that prince Mṛigánkadatta was appointed your husband by the goddess Gaurí in a dream, and it is the highest duty of women to follow the steps of their husbands.” When he said this to the girl, she dismissed her shame, looking at her heart with downcast face, as if to tell it that its desire was gained.
Then Susheṇa brought and gave to Śaśánkavatí in the presence of the king her own accumulated wealth; two thousand bháras[16] of gold, five camels heavily laden with jewelled ornaments, and another treasure of gold. And he said, “This is her own private property, but, as for what her father has sent, I will give it her in due course at the marriage altar.” Then they all ate and drank, and spent the day there in the king’s presence in great comfort, with Mṛigánkadatta and his suite.