KADAMBAE1. 381 on the return journey with misgiving as to how he was to find his way back. He soon came to a beautiful lake called Achchhoda, At the sight of which he felt that his pursuit had not altogether been fruitless. He rested on the banks of the lake and refreshed himself and his horse, when he heard coming from the northern bank of the lake a strain of unearthly melody mingling with the sound of a lute. Chandrapida mounted his horse and made for the northern bank. There he found a temple of S'iva and bending low before the five-faced image of the god, a maiden, wondrous white, from whom proceeded the enchanting lay. The prince sprang down from his horse and waited till the song should cease. When it came to an end the maiden came forward and welcomed the prince. Chandrapida told her who he was and how he came there. When he pressed her in return to tell her story, she wept bitterly. But when Chandrapida blamed himself for preferring that painful request, she steadied herself and bade him hear why she had resigned worldly pleasures. The story of Mahas'veta. There were fourteen families of Apsarases, sprung from the moon, nectar, the sun &c. The 13th and I4th families sprang from the Gandharvas who married the two daughters of Daksha, named Muni and Arishta. Muni had sixteen sons of whom Chitraratha was the best. He obtained dominion over all the tribes of Gandharvas and dwells in the Kimpurshavarsha on Hemakuta. He made this forest and named it after himelf ( Chaitraratha ), caused the Achchhoda lake to be dug and established this image of S'iva. Arishta bore 6 sons of whom Hamsa was placed by Chitraratha, his cousin, at the head of the second Gandharva tribe. He too dwells on Hemakuta and married Gauri, an Apsaras descended from the moon. Of these too ( Hamsa and Gauri ) I am the only child, called Mahas'veta because I was so fair. I grew up in the palace when youth soon pervaded all my limbs. One spring day I came to this lake to bathe when I was drawn by a rich fragrance like that of no earthly flower, to a part of the grove where I beheld a young sage of peerless beauty who wore as his ear-ornament the flower the fragrance of which had drawn me. At the sight of him love for him subdued me. When I bent low before him in reverence, he too was smitten with love for me. I approached his companion
