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

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THE GOD OF FIRE 207<br />

"<br />

welcomed them in the following words : My heart has been<br />

fully gratified to-day by seeing you reunited, happy at having<br />

come to an end <strong>of</strong> your curse."<br />

And when the night had passed, King Merudhvaja came<br />

there in search <strong>of</strong> them, mounted on the elephant <strong>of</strong> Indra,<br />

accompanied by his wife and his youngest son, and also Trailokyamalin,<br />

the sovereign <strong>of</strong> the Daityas, with his daughter<br />

Trailokyaprabha, mounted on a chariot, attended by his harem<br />

and his suite. <strong>The</strong>n the hermit pointed out Muktaphalaketu<br />

to those two kings, and described what had taken place how<br />

he had become a man by a curse, in order to do a service to<br />

the gods, and how he had been delivered from his human<br />

condition. And when Merudhvaja and the others heard that,<br />

though they were before eager to throw themselves into the<br />

fire, they bathed in Siddhodaka and worshipped Siva, by the<br />

hermit's direction, and were at once delivered from their<br />

sorrow. <strong>The</strong>n that Trailokyaprabha suddenly called to mind<br />

her birth, and said to herself :<br />

" Truly I am that same Devaprabha,<br />

the daughter <strong>of</strong> the king <strong>of</strong> the Siddhas, who, when<br />

undergoing austerities * in order that the emperor <strong>of</strong> all the<br />

Vidyadharas might be my husband, was ridiculed by Padma-<br />

vati, and entered the fire to gain the fulfilment <strong>of</strong> my desire.<br />

and here is<br />

And now I have been born in this Daitya race ;<br />

this very prince with whom I was in love, who has recovered<br />

his Vidyadhara body. But it is not fitting that, now that his<br />

body is changed, he should be united to this body <strong>of</strong> mine,<br />

so I will consume my Asura body also in the fire, in order to<br />

obtain him."<br />

Having gone through these reflections in her mind, and<br />

having communicated her intentions to her parents, she<br />

entered 2<br />

the fire which had consumed Muktaphaladhvaja.<br />

And then the God <strong>of</strong> Fire himself appeared with her, on<br />

whom, out <strong>of</strong> pity, he had bestowed her former body, and<br />

said to Muktaphaladhvaja :<br />

" Muktaphaladhvaja, this lady,<br />

Devaprabha, the daughter <strong>of</strong> the king <strong>of</strong> the Siddhas, for<br />

1 I read tapasyanti for na pasyanti. See Taranga 117, L 111 et seq. <strong>The</strong><br />

three India Office MSS. and the Sanskrit College MS. have tapasyanti.<br />

vishtam.<br />

2 All the India Office MSS. and the Sanskrit College MS. read anupra

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