Note 9 — V. SUDHANA AVADĀNA.1

When he had learnt how cruelly his father had acted, he went to his mother, touched her feet, and said, “O mother, as Manoharā is not here, Manoharā who was endowed with every virtue that could be wished for, and endowed with admirable beauty, where then has she gone? Thinking ever so rapidly, I am all confused in mind. On account of being separated from her my mind is exceedingly sad. As Manoharā dwells within my mind, pleasing to my mind and my mind’s joy, as through separation from Manoharā my body is saddened, what is there that will make my pain diminish?” His mother said, “O son, as intolerable fear came upon Manoharā, I let her go away.” “Mother, how did that come to pass?” His mother gave him a complete account of the matter. He said, “That was a cruel misdeed on my father’s part.” He said, moreover, “Mother, whither has she gone? which way lies the road?” His mother replied, “The road which Manoharā has taken is that of the mountains where Rishis and lions ever dwell, and which are the abode of the Dharma-rāja.”9 In his intolerable grief at being separated from Manoharā, the prince renewed his sad wailings, crying, “As Manoharā is not here, Manoharā who was endowed with every virtue that could be desired,” and so on down to the words, “What is there that will make my pain diminish?” Then his mother said, “My son, as there are women in this band of wives who are more beautiful than she is, wherefore are you sad?” The youth replied, “Mother, how can I be happy if I find her not?”