Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2115

c8.2115

Putraka immediately hit upon a plan and addressed the quarrelling brothers thus :—"Why do you fight like this ? It is better you decide it by a competitive race. He who wins the race should have the right to get the things." The two brothers agreed to it and leaving the things with Putraka started running. When they had gone a long distance away from the spot, Putraka put on the sandals and taking the stick and pot with him rose into the air. He landed at a city far away from the spot and started living at the house of an old woman. The King of that country had a daughter named Pāṭali. When the old lady described to him the beauty and good qualities of Pāṭali, Putraka wanted to marry her. So at night when everybody in the palace was asleep Putraka put on his sandals and entered the room of Pāṭali through the windows. Pāṭali woke up; she liked Putraka and they were married according to Gāndharva rites. Then they both went out of the palace by air with the help of the sandals and landed at a place on the shores of the Gaṅgā. Then at the request of Pāṭali Putraka made a city there with the help of the stick and they named it Pāṭaliputra. (Kathāpīṭhalambaka, Kathāsaritsāgara).