Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.422

c8.422

Once a Vaiśya named Samudradatta committed adultery and another house-holder found it out and took them to the temple of Maṇibhadra and kept them there. Śaktimatī, the virtuous wife of Samudradatta came to know of the mishap to her husband and the intelligent woman went to the temple with materials for worship and under the pretext of worshipping made the priest of the temple open the doors. When she entered Samudradatta felt ashamed and sat with his head bent down. Śaktimatī gave the other woman her own dress taking hers in return and sent her out as Śaktimatī without raising the least suspicion in the priest. Then she remained with Samudradatta, and when in the morning officers of the King came to take them they were surprised to find that the culprits were really husband and wife. The house-holder was punished for giving wrong information and Samudradatta was set free with his wife. (Kathāmukhalambaka, Kathāsaritsāgara).