King Chandpradyot of Malwa was one of the most powerful rulers during the times of Lord Mahavir. His queen Shivadevi was the elder sister of Chellana, the most beloved queen of Shrenik, the king of Magadh.
Being highly ambitious, once Chandpradyot invaded Magadh. As he was proceeding towards Rajgruhi with his large army, Shrenik could not make out how to effectively counter him. His son and the prime minister Abhaykumar however told the king not to worry, because he had his own plan to handle the situation. Abhaykumar arranged for burying valuable treasures on the southern outskirts of Rajgruhi where the invading army was expected to camp.
On reaching Rajgruhi, Chandpradyot camped on that site and sent a message to Shrenik to surrender. Abhaykumar, on the other end, sent an apparently secret message to Chandpradyot stating that his father had effectively bribed Chandapradyot’s generals who would not seriously fight against Magadh’s army and Chandpradyot was therefore running a grave risk. The message contended that Chandpradyot being the husband of the beloved aunt Shivadevi whom Abhaykumar revered, he was concerned about the well being of Chandpradyot and therefore he had sent the secret message.
The message added that if Chandpradyot had any doubt about the message, he could inspect under the ground where his generals were camping and he would notice there the treasures received by them from Shrenik. When Chandpradyot did accordingly, he came across the treasures that Abhaykumar had buried there earlier. Chandpradyot was therefore convinced about the truth of the secret message. He got scared and hurriedly withdrew from Rajgruhi.
On reaching his capital Ujjain, he called for the explanation of the generals. They solemnly affirmed that they were loyal to him and Abhaykumar had effectively tricked him to withdraw. Chandpradyot also could see the game of Abhaykumar and decided to get hold of him anyhow. He made an offer of a fancy prize for anyone who could bring Abhaykumar to Ujjain.
One city dancer accepted the bid. She arranged for acquiring enough knowledge of Jain rituals and formalities. Then along with two young girls she went to Rajgruhi in the guise of pilgrims. They started going to the temple where Abhaykumar used to go for worship.
Once Abhaykumar saw them praying very devotedly. He was much impressed by their devotion. At the end of the prayer, he inquired about their names, place of residence, etc. She replied that she was the widow of a wealthy man of Ujjain and the two girls were her daughters-in-law who had also been unfortunately widowed. The girls wanted to renounce but she had persuaded them to undertake pilgrimage of important places of worship prior to renouncing.
Abhaykumar felt very compassionate that misfortune had befallen on that deeply religious family. He invited them to his place for lunch. The woman contended that they had been on fast that day. Abhaykumar therefore invited them to come to his place the next morning for termination of the fast. Like a deeply religious lady, she replied, “Who knows what is going to happen the next moment ? It is therefore preposterous to make any plan beforehand.” Abhaykumar was too much impressed by her deep religious thinking and sent the invitation the next morning. After termination of fast, he requested them to stay in Rajgruhi for a few days so that he could get benefit of serving them.
Once the woman invited Abhaykumar to her place for dinner. That time she gave him drinks mixed with Chandrahas wine that brings drowsiness. He thus fell in deep slumber. She had made elaborate plans for such event. He was accordingly smuggled out of Rajgruhi during the sleep and was then carried to Ujjain under escort. She then presented him to Chandpradyot who put him into captivity in his palace.
Of all his belongings, Chandpradyot valued queen Shivadevi; messenger Lohjangh; royal elephant Analgiri; and chariot Agnibhiru as the most precious ones. At that time Bharuch in Gujarat was the most important port on the western coast and was under control of Malwa.
Messenger Lohjangh being a fast rider, he could travel from Ujjain to Bhrugukutch within a day. He had to bring frequent messages from Ujjain. The implications of the messages being adverse to the local people, they detested him.
In order to get rid of him, once while he was returning, they placed poisoned sweets in his travel kit. Lohjangh somehow avoided food on his way and reaching Ujjain he presented the sweets to the king. Before any of them could eat the sweets, Abhaykumar, who was there in captivity, got forewarned of the poison from the odor of the sweets. He therefore warned them not to eat the poisonous sweets. Chandpradyot was pleased with him for saving the life and offered him to ask for anything except release from the captivity. Abhaykumar requested that he may be allowed to ask for it at any time that he may select later on. His request was granted.
Chandpradyot had a beautiful daughter named Vasavdatta. She had been adept in all the arts except music. He was very keen to get a capable music teacher for her. Udayan, the young king of Kaushambi, who also happened to be her maternal cousin, was known as expert musician. He could even lure elephants by his music.
Under advice of his ministers, Chandpradyot arranged for preparing a big fake elephant that exactly looked like a real one. There were mechanical devices within its body that could be operated for causing different types of movements like a real elephant. It was let loose in the forest near Kaushambi with armed operators within.
As Udayan’s guards saw the elephant, they informed him about it. Udayan came there and started playing music. People within the elephant managed to show that the elephant was charmed with the music. Simultaneously however they contrived it to move away from Kaushambi.. Udayan followed and got separated from his followers. After a while he could notice that the elephant was under full impact of his music, he therefore jumped over it. Operators from within soon came out, put him in bondage and hurriedly brought him to Ujjain.
Chandpradyot did not want his daughter to see Udayan who was a very handsome and attractive youth. He therefore told Vasavdatta that he had found an expert music teacher who unfortunately happened to be leucodermic. He therefore advised her to learn music from him sitting behind a curtain. To Udayan he said that his daughter wanted to learn music, but being one eyed, she felt very shy. If he taught her staying behind a curtain, she could learn at ease. If Udayan agreed, Chandpradyot would spare his life and make his stay comfortable in Ujjain. Udayan had no alternative at that time. He therefore agreed and started teaching Vasavdatta.
She was very smart in picking up and her voice was very sweet. He therefore pitied that so smart and sweet girl had only one eye. Vasavdatta too was enamored of his voice and cursed the nature for making him leucodermic.
Once while she was thinking of him, she got inattentive to the lesson. Thereupon Udayan got wild and reproached her by calling her one eyed. Vasavdatta was exasperated to hear that. She however guessed that her father might have deliberately lied to him about her. She also thought that her teacher being leucodermic could also be a lie. She therefore raised the curtain and saw that he was handsome and strong. She got attracted to him. Udayan too was enamored to see her beauty. Both of them fell in love and started meeting privately with the aid of a helpful maid of Vasavdatta.
Once the royal elephant Analgiri got out of control and started destroying every thing that he came across. His keepers failed to bring him back to control. Chandpradyot was perplexed and sought advice of Abhaykumar who suggested that Udayan could control the elephant by his music.
As Vasavdatta came to know about it, she urged Udayan to pick the opportunity to please her father. So Udayan brought Analgiri into control by his music. Chandpradyot was pleased with the performance of Udayan and started giving more latitude to him. He also got pleased with Abhaykumar for his right advice and again offered him to ask for anything except the release from captivity. Like the previous one, Abhaykumar once again requested Chandpradyot to keep his promise in reserve. Similarly there were two more occasions when Chandpradyot offered him to ask for anything except the release from captivity.
Then Abhaykumar asked for the following four boons:
(1) The king and queen Shivadevi may sit over the elephant Analgiri along with Abhaykumar;
(2) Lohjangh would ride the elephant;
(3) Chariot Agnibhiru be set on fire and
(4) The elephant may enter that fire with the four of them over it.
As it was not possible for Chandpradyot to comply with the demands, he set Abhaykumar free. While going back to Rajgruhi, Abhaykumar stated that he was brought into captivity, because the city dancer deceived him in the name of the religion; but he promised that he would take Chandpradyot in captivity in the broad daylight.
Once in the season of spring, Chandpradyot planned a grand festival in his favorite garden. There he invited musicians and also asked Vasavdatta and Udayan to participate. For Udayan that was an opportunity to escape. He asked Vasavdatta to get ready for that. She arranged for the speediest female elephant for the purpose. Udayan managed to take the female elephant’s urine in four pots. Then they rode over her and quickly marched towards Kaushambi.
As Chandpradyot learnt about the escape, he sent his men on Analgiri to pursue Udayan. After 100 miles Analgiri got close to the escapees, so Udayan released one pot of urine and rode ahead while Analgiri stopped for the odor of the urine. That way Udayan released one pot every time Analgiri got close. So Analgiri could not reach them before they safely entered the border of Kaushambi. The pursuers had therefore to go back because the army of Kaushambi was ready to give them a fight.
Chandpradyot got furious and started preparations for invading Kaushambi. His advisers however pacified him stating that any way he had to find a suitable match for Vasavdatta and there was hardly any one better than Udayan; he should therefore bless him as son-in-law. Chandpradyot saw the wisdom of the advice. He therefore accepted the fait accompli and sent jewelry and other valuables as gifts to the son-in-law.
Meanwhile Abhaykumar had not forgotten the challenge that he had given to Chandpradyot. He had located a man who closely resembled Chandpradyot. Then along with that man and two beautiful city girls, he came to Ujjain in the guise of a trader. He rented a house on the main road and started carrying his man tied in a rope to the far off place of a physician, while the man kept shouting that he was Chandpradyot, the king of Malwa and that he was being abducted. To the people who inquired, Abhaykumar used to explain that the man was his brother, who out of insanity, thought that he was the king of Malwa. As that became a scene of daily occurrence, people around got accustomed to it and stopped making any inquiry.
Meanwhile those two city girls were flirting and casting their charm around. Once Chandpradyot happened to see them. He was attracted by their beauty and sent his maid for inviting them to the palace. The girls however spurned the offer. Chandpradyot then sent an expert maid together with valuable gifts to persuade them. Then the girls took her in a corner and apparently secretly said that they were attracted by the king, but they were with their brother who was very scrupulous and therefore were unable to oblige the king. They however pretended to confide that their brother was to go out of town after seven day. If the king could therefore secretly come to the place on that day, they would be happy to serve the king.
Chandpradyot was pleased to get the message. On the appointed day he secretly went to the place without any fanfare. As he entered, the girls invited him to the bedroom. Abhaykumar was waiting there. With the help of his man he tied Chandpradyot tight with a rope. At the regular time, he brought him out in bondage apparently for taking to the physician. Chandpradyot was shouting loudly that he was the king and this man was abducting him.
All the people around were however accustomed to witness that scene. No one therefore came to his rescue and Abhaykumar carried him to Rajgruhi with the help of prearranged convoys. There he was presented to Shrenik who was ready to sever his head. Abhaykumar however pointed out that, as king of Malwa, the body of the captive was inviolable. He was brought to Rajgruhi simply for teaching him the lesson that anything can be done by intelligence. The performance being over, Magadh should better offer to him its friendship. Shrenik accepted the advice, released Chandpradyot from captivity and offered him valuable gifts in token of friendship of Magadh.
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