INTRODUCTION 117 XVIII Sandhi. Răva pa takes vow not to commit rape: Marriage of Pavananjaya and Añjana: Repudiation and re acceptance of Arjana After Indra's defeat, while Rāvana was returning from a pil- grimage to the summits of Mandara, he heard a great hubbub which was explained by Mārica as being due to gods proceeding to pay homage to Anantaratha, who had attained Kevala. Rāvana went to the Kevalin and saw there all people taking some one or other of the religious vows (1). Sage Dharmaratha urged Rāvaņa to take a vow. Rāvana replied, 'I can accomplish all the feats of physical strength considered impossible, but cannot observe a vow' (2). Still thinking hard he took a vow, not to accept any woman against her wish. After this, he returned to Larka. Mahendra, the king of Mahendra city, seeing her daughter Añjană coming of age, went to seek for a suitable hus- band for her to Mount Aştāpada where hundreds of Vid- yādharas were assembling on the Aştāhikā festival (3). There he became friends with Prahlada, the king of Ravipura, to whose son, Pavananjaya, Añjana was betrothed and the marriage cere mony was fixed to take place after two days (4). In the mean- while Pavananjaya became so love-lorn that his friend Prahasita noticed his sudden emaciation and asked the cause (5). He said, 'If I do not see the face of my beloved today, I will die.' There- upon both went at night to Añjana's sleeping quarters and saw her from the window. Prahasita congratulated his friend for get- ting such a matchless beauty (6). Añjana's friend Vasanta- mālā was congratulating her for getting a husband like Pavanan- jaya. But another friend Miśrakeši said, 'Before Vidyutprabha, Pavanañjaya counted for nothing.' Hearing these words Pava- nañjaya raised his sword in indignation and was going to sever the heads of both the girls, when Prahasita checked him from doing anything rash. Grievous, he returned to his residence. Spending somehow that endless night, he started with his retinue in the morning. When other kings with great difficulty pursaded him, he decided that having accepted her hand, he would desert her for twelve years (7-8). Through this long unbearable grief Aăjanā became complete ly worn out. In the meanwwhile as his messenger returned with- out collecting tributes from Varuna, Rāvana had declared war on him (9). In the battle that ensued Varuna's son Räjiva and Punda- rika took Khara and Duşana captive and they retired with Varuna to their watery castle. Lest his brothers-in-law be killed Rāvana removed the siege and sent directives to the Vidyādharas of all islands. One such came to Pavanañjaya and he started forthwith with his army, when crying Anjanā came out to give him a send- off. But he spurned her. She said, 'With your going away life too will depart from me, since it was sustained by your presence only' (10). Though struck with these words, Pavananjaya went away disregarding her. Encamping on the banks of Manasa lake, Pavanaájaya saw there the female Cakravāka pathetically bewailing for her dear companion from whom she was separated because of the night- time. This sight moved Pavạnanjaya to imagine the plight of poor Añjanā for all these years and he resolved to shower his love on
