Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.3415

c9.3415

The news reached Kauśāmbi. Yaugandharāyaṇa entrusted the affairs of the government to Rumanvān and started for Ujjayinī with Vasantaka. At Ujjayinī they got Yogeśvara, a Brahmarākṣasa as friend. According to his advice Yaugandharāyaṇa took the guise of a mad old man. Vasantaka adopted the guise of a sick man, suffering from pain in the stomach an uncouth figure to look at. They entered the city. The madness of Yaugandharāyaṇa was an entertainment to the people. The ladies of the court liked him much. Vāsavadattā invited the madman to the harem. Udayana instantly recognized the mad man. Vasantaka also got admittance to the palace. He told Vāsavadattā the story of Lohajaṅgha in an interesting way. (See under Lohajaṅgha) Vāsavadattā began to be drawn more and more towards Udayana. She seemed to have forgotten even about the fact that her father was an enemy of Udayana, who had been thinking seriously of means of escape from the palace. Vāsavadattā agreed to accompany him. Āṣādhaka got Bhadrāvatī, the elephant of Vāsavadattā, ready for the flight. In the night Udayana and his retinue got on the elephant Bhadrāvatī and fled from the palace. Kāñcanamālā the maid of Vāsavadattā also accompanied her mistress. When they had passed the Vindhya mountain the elephant Bhadrāvatī fell dead. When they all were standing around the dead elephant sadly, they heard an ethereal voice saying, “Oh King! I am a Vidyādhara woman called Māyāvatī. I had been an elephant for so long. The son you are going to get, will also be helped by me. Your wife Vāsavadattā also, is a goddess, born as a woman purposely.” Next day, all reached the palace of Udayana and the marriage of Udayana and Vāsavadattā took place shortly. Caṇḍamahāsena recognized that marriage.