Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2127

c9.2127

Śridatta immediately started in pursuit of the unknown enemy. Shortly after, he caught sight of the army led by a Kṣatriya prince who was taking Mrgāṅkavatī on horseback with him. After a fierce fight, Śridatta rescued the princess from the youth, captured his horse and rode on it with her towards his friends. When they had gone a short distance, the horse which had been wounded in the battle, fell dead on the way. At that time he went in search of water to quench their thirst, leaving Mrgāṅkavatī at the spot. By the time he returned with water, the sun had set. So he lost his way and wandered about in the forest till day-break when he reached the place where he had left Mrgāṅkavatī. But she was not seen anywhere there. To get a better view of the neighbourhood in the hope of finding her, he climbed to the top of a tree near by, after placing his sword on the ground. Just then a hunter named Śabara came that way and took up Śridatta’s sword. Śridatta saw this, but he got down from the tree and instead of attacking him, merely asked him whether he knew about the whereabouts of Mrgāṅkavatī. To this Śabara said that he thought that she had reached his cottage and asked Śridatta to accompany his followers to the cottage. He also offered to go with him and promised to return his sword after reaching there. Śridatta reached the cottage with them. Being utterly exhausted, he fell into a deep slumber. When he woke up he found that his legs were chained together. While he was lying thus, a woman named Mocanikā approached him and said:—“Why did you come here to court death? Śabara has now gone out on some business. As soon as he returns he will offer you as a sacrifice to Bhadrakālī. It is for that purpose that he has brought you here and put in chains. But there is yet one way of escape for you. This Śabara has a very beautiful daughter. She has fallen in love with you. If you marry her everything will turn out well."