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The ocean of story, being C.H. Tawney's translation of Somadeva's ...

The ocean of story, being C.H. Tawney's translation of Somadeva's ...

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SIDDHISVARA 143<br />

"<br />

Come, let us go to that holy place <strong>of</strong> Siva on the Tridasa<br />

mountain, rightly named Siddhisvara, 1<br />

where the gods<br />

performed asceticism in order to bring about the destruction<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Asura Vidyuddhvaja. And they slew that Asura in<br />

fight, with the help <strong>of</strong> Muktaphalaketu, the head <strong>of</strong> all the<br />

Vidyadhara princes, who had been obtained by the favour<br />

<strong>of</strong> Siva. And that Muktaphalaketu, having passed through<br />

the state <strong>of</strong> humanity brought upon him by a curse, obtained<br />

reunion with Padmavati by the favour <strong>of</strong> the same god. Let<br />

us go to that holy place, which has such splendid associations<br />

connected with it, and there propitiate Siva, and then we<br />

will return to our own home, for such was the end <strong>of</strong> the<br />

curse appointed to all <strong>of</strong> us by the goddess, to take place at<br />

the same time." When the two heavenly swans said this<br />

to King Brahmadatta, he was at once excited with curiosity to<br />

hear the tale <strong>of</strong> Muktaphalaketu.<br />

1 Here the name <strong>of</strong> a place sacred to Siva. Before we have had it as the<br />

god's title. See Bohtlingk and Roth, s.v. It means "lord <strong>of</strong> magic powers."

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