A History of Indian Literature v3.c35.s13.3

v3.c35.s13.3

In this manner the Daśakumāracarita, “the Adventures of Ten Princes”⁴ differs from works like Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā more on account of perfection in the style of ornate court poetry than in the matter of the subject-matter. Daṇḍin’s work too is a cycle of tales and stories that are set in a common frame. The frame-story, in brief, is as follows :— The king of Magadha is defeated in a battle by the king of Mālava and flees away into the forest, where his wife gives birth to a son, Prince Rājavāhana. At the same time a son is born to each of the four minister of the king, and shortly after him five different princes are brought in a wholly wonderful manner to take shelter under the former king. These ten boys, princes and ministers’ sons, grow up together and are trained in all crafts and sciences in a similar manner. When they grow up, the prince with his companions starts for “victory of the world” (*digvijaya*). One day, in the Vindhya-mountains he meets a Brāhmaṇa Mātaṅga, whom he renders some help in achieving certain magical power for acquisition of mastery over the nether-world. After different adventures the prince resumes his own journey. In the meantime his companions, searching for him, go out into the world. Since the prince does not find them, he too begins to stroll about and at last comes to a park, where he meets some of his companions. One by one all the ten princes are reunited, and each of them narrates the story of his adventure, that he has experienced during the intervening period.