The World of Courtesans c11.69

c11.69

Sundarasena listened to the chatter of the courtesans. He made up his mind to live with Haralata. One day, however, when he was walking in the garden, he received a letter from his father. The father took him to task for this un-Brahman-like action of living with a courtesan. He asked him to come back home at once. His friend Gunapalita also advised him to return to Pataliputra. Sundarasena decides to obey his father's command but fears that Haralata might die in his absence. At the time of departure Sundarasena and Haralata bid each other farewell in a most loving manner She accompanies him to a banyan tree and says goodbye to him. A traveller coming from Abu overtakes them on the way and informs him that Haralata lay dead under the banyan tree Sundarasena swoons when he hears this. When he regains consciousness he and his friend Gunapalita return to the spot where Haralata lay dead. Sundarasena and his friend perform the funeral rites and then return to the forest to lead a life of celibacy and penance.