4. Motifs (22): Significant bardic and other utterances

On three such occasions have such utterances been utilized by the poet : (i) When the King Meghavahana and queen Madiravati are miserable due to the lack of a male chi 51 child; (ii) When Harivahana and Samaraketu are out, for a walk on the top of the Vaitadhya mountain? (iii) When Harivahana is consoled regarding the possibility of his 53 being united with his beloved. (i) King Meghavahana, as he tells the Vidyadhara Muni, heard the bard's utterance which suggested to him that the misergarable part of his life was over and that he should now worship some deity. This verse actually prepares the ground for the offer of Aparajita Vidya by the Muni to the king. It is in the context of the king's resolution to go to a forest for propitiating some deity 51. Tilakamanjari p.28. 52. ibid.p. 240. 53. ibid.p. 402.

lu 328 and the queen's consequent urge to accompany him, that the Muni exercises his Yogic faculties and suggests, as a modification, the propitiation of the goddess SrI, the family-deity of the king in his very palace. The word "usnadidhiti" is subtly meant as a sly referenice to god Jvalanaprabha's descent to the human plane as the king's child. It also suggests the successful completion of the propitiation. 54 (ii) Apart from the six bardic verses meant as purely poetic morning invocation to Harivahana, Dhanapala has utilized one bardic utterance which exalts Harivahana in comparison to one of the best of the "bhumibhrts" (kings;mountains). This inspires a question to Harivahana by Samaraketu about the former's account beginning with the flight of the mad elephant. The verse, thus, serves as a turning point in the story which now starts the process of emboxing. (iii) At the end of the successful undertaking of the Sadhana, a goddess appears before Harivahana and informs him about the plan of Anangarati in accordance with the advice of the minister Sakyabuddhi. At the end of her talk she assures the prince about the early end of separation from his beloved. This heralds the poet's plan about the happy union of both the heroes with their 54. Tilakamanjari p.237.

329 respective heroines at the end of the novel.