Part 12: The parents of Acala and Tripṛṣṭha

Now there is a city Potanapura with high city-gates, like the crown of the earth of the southern half of Bharata. The king in the city was Ripupratiśatru, resplendent with all the virtues like the sun with its rays. With the six policies^[1] he resembled Bharatakṣetra with six divisions and with the four means^[2] he resembled Indra’s four-tusked elephant. He was like a lion in courage, like an elephant in strength, like Kandarpa in beauty, like Bṛhaspati in intellect. His intellect and strength, very clear and sharp in the subjection of the earth, adorned each other mutually like arms.

His chief-queen, named Bhadrā, the fair home of good fortune, was like the king’s land which had assumed a body. Armored with devotion to her husband, unceasingly watchful like a woman-guard, she guarded her conduct like a deposit of jewels. She always had the beautiful appearance of collyrium for the eyes, of the Śrī of the kingdom embodied, of the family-constancy personified.