[12] MSS. Nos. 1882 and 2166 and the Sanskrit College MS. give lasannavanavádbhutá “is ever displaying new marvels.” No. 3003 gives lasannavatavádbhutá. The t is no doubt a mere slip of the pen for n.
[13] I read arghyapádyádi in śl. 180, 6; as in śl. 181, 6. The y is found in the three India Office MSS. and the Sanskrit College MS. I also read in śl. 179 svagirá datte devenánarthite vare, which I find in the three India Office MSS. and the Sanskrit College MS.
[14] Two of the India Office MSS. read samayapratibandham̱; No. 3003 has samayaprativa; clearly some letters have been omitted. The sense would remain the same.
[15] Pátála and Rasátala seem to be used indiscriminately to denote “the nether world” in this passage. Strictly speaking, Rasátala is one of the seven Pátálas. The words in śl. 189 which I have translated “regions of Pátála” mean literally “the Pátálas.” In śl. 192 the three India Office MSS. read sudṛishṭayoḥ “having had a good look at them.”
Chapter CXIX.
Then king Merudhvaja, seeing that Malayadhvaja was thus overpowered with the fever of love, said to his queen, “If those two daughters of Trailokyamálin, whom I saw in Pátála, do not become the wives of my two sons, what advantage shall I have gained? And my son Malayadhvaja is consumed with smouldering flame, because he cannot obtain the younger of the two, though shame makes him conceal the fire of love. It is for this very reason that, though I promised Trailokyamálin’s queen that I would set him at liberty, I do not at once make my promise good. For, if he is set free from his imprisonment, his pride as an Asura will prevent his ever giving his daughters to my sons as being men. So it is now advisable to propose this matter to him in a conciliatory manner.”
When he had gone through these reflections with the queen, he said to his warder, “Go to the cave of Śvetaśaila, and say, as from me, in a kind manner to Trailokyamálin, the king of the Daityas, who is imprisoned there, ‘King of the Daityas, by the appointment of Destiny you have been long afflicted here, so now do what I advise, and bring your affliction to an end. Give to my two sons your two daughters, who fell in love with them at first sight, and thus procure your release, and rule your kingdom, after you have given security for your fidelity.’”
With this message the king sent off his warder, and he went and delivered it to the Daitya monarch in that cave. The monarch answered, “I will not give my two daughters to two men;” and the warder returned and reported his answer to the king.
Then king Merudhvaja began to look about for some other means of attaining his end, and in the course of some days Svayamprabhá heard how he had sped, so she again sent Indumatí from Pátála to his palace with a message.