A History of Sanskrit Literature c21.s8.4.3

c21.s8.4.3

at this point Bāṇa’s work ends and his son’s continuation begins. Further news comes from Keyūraka, increasing Candrāpīḍa’s desire to return to Kādambarī, but he must await Vaiçampāyana and the host. The latter comes, but the officers tell the sad tale of the fact that Vaiçampāyana had insisted on staying at the lake as one distraught; the king suggests that Candrāpīḍa has done him some wrong, but Çukanāsa hotly defends the prince and blames his son, while Candrāpīḍa is convinced that Vaiçampāyana is blameless. Permitted to seek him, he proceeds to the lake, and finds Mahāçvetā in even more profound grief than before. She narrates her tale: Vaiçampāyana had fallen in love with her, she, true to Puṇḍarīka, had repulsed him, and, wearied with his parrot repetitions of love, had cursed him to become a parrot, whereupon he had forthwith died. This is too much for Candrāpīḍa who dies straightway. Mahāçvetā mourns him, when Kādambarī with Pattralekhā enters, resolves on death, prepares the pyre, when a light breaks forth from the bed and a voice from heaven tells Mahāçvetā that Puṇḍarīka’s body is incorruptible in heaven, while Kādambarī is to guard Candrāpīḍa’s body until the curse which slew him is over. Pattralekhā, who had fainted, awakes, springs on Indrāyudha who is among the mourners, dashes into the lake whence emerges Kapiñjala. He now takes up the tale;