विक्रम चरित (उज्जैन सम्राट् विक्रमादित्य - पराक्रम, न्याय एवं ३२ पुतलियों की कथा सटीक)

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charm ; when he became sufficiently versed in it to answer
present purposes, they were each of them transformed :
Vickramadetea became a brahmin, and the brahmin a
parrot. This bird was delivered into the hands of Prince
Duntsain, who, together with the bird and the newly-created
brahmin, proceeded to the gate of the princess' subterranean
dwelling. Having reached it, the prince and the parrot
remained outside, while the brahmin entered alone, and
did not stop till he had reached the magnificent palace,
situated in the centre of a vast enclosure. He perceived near
the palace, in an opposite direction, the whole of the
machinery which had been represented to him. He went on
till he came up to a number of slaves loitering about. He
desired one of them to go instantly and inform his mistress
Pudmavuntty that a stranger had arrived, willing to win her
hand on the stipulated terms. The slave having reported
the arrival of the brahmin to his mistress, introduced him
by her sanction into her appartment, which was constructed
in a most magnificent style, and at enormous cost, by the
most skilful architect of the time. The walls and massive
pillars were covered with numerous beautiful representations
of beasts and birds, in paintings of gold, with trees of verdant
enamel ; then, passing a hall, he was agreeably surprised to
see one of the finest orchards a man can well conceive but
rarely sees, in which the wonderful and tasteful arrangement
of the trees and shrubs, their luxuriant growth, the diversity
of the fruits, some few of which he had never before seen or
heard of, their freshness and delicacy, and the sweet perfume
wafted along by the gentle play of the breeze that was then
blowing, all conspired to overpower him with a sensation of
unalloyed pleasure for the time. The flower-garden was not
less extraordinary in its kind : it was, as in the case of the
orchard, arranged with much tasteful skill, and the fragrance
issuing from a thousand different sources was a luxury
vouchsafed to few. The sweet warblings of a number of
birds added to the grandeur and attractions of the place.
In short, whoever entered this domicile could not help being
I