Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2126

c9.2126

Later, once when Śridatta went to a festival, he happened to meet Mrgāṅkavatī, daughter of a King named Śrībimbaki. They fell in love with each other. When she left the place, Śridatta felt very much depressed. Bāhuśāli and others also knew about it. They offered to take him to Mrgāṅkavatī. But just then she fell down unconscious, bitten by a snake. Śridatta soon restored her with the help of the magic ring which Vidyutprabhā had given him earlier. After that he returned with his friends to Bāhuśāli’s house, leaving behind the ring with Mrgāṅkavatī. The King who was deeply grateful for the cure of his daughter sent plenty of wealth and gold to Śridatta. But Śridatta gave all of them to Bāhuśāli’s father. He was always doting on Mrgāṅkavatī and was much pained at his separation from her. At this stage, the princess’s favourite maid came to him on the pretext of returning the magic ring and informed him that Mrgāṅkavatī was also pining for him and was even prepared to die for his sake. Śridatta sent her back with a secret message of love and cheer. After that in consultation with his friends he made a plan to take the princess secretly to Mathurāpurī. On the next day, Bāhuśāli with three of his friends left for Mathurā pretending to go there for trade. He made all arrangements on the way for the secret conveyance of the princess. That night, Śridatta sent a woman and her daughter to the palace after making them senseless with heavy drink and arranged for their sleeping there. As directed by Śridatta, Bhāvanika set the palace on fire and slipped out of the building with the princess. Śridatta sent them at once to Mathurāpurī. The woman and her daughter who were burnt alive in the palace were supposed to be the maid and the princess. Śridatta set out to Mathurā to meet Mrgāṅkavatī. On the way he saw several evil omens. On arrival at Vindhyavana, he saw his friends lying helpless, after having been severely beaten by unknown enemies. They informed him that a stranger leading a powerful army overpowered them and galloped away on horseback, taking the princess with him.