STORY NO. 69. KANDARPAKETU KICKED BACK TO EARTH
Kandarpaketu was the handsome son of Jimutavahana, king of Simhaladwipa(Ceylon) and
was in the prime of youth. A merchant told him in his pleasure ground one day, that on every Chaturdasi(The Fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight, the day before the new moon or full moon) day a maiden, beautiful like Lakshmi and bedecked with wonderful ornaments could be seen seated on a costly couch in the midst of the great sea under a Kalpavriksha tree(The mythical wish-fulfillment tree). Kandarpaketu's curiosity was roused. He went to the spot indicated, at the time indicated, and saw the dazzling beauty seated under the Kalpa tree as described. On seeing him, she disappeared into the sea. Smitten with love, he jumped after her from the Kalpavrikisha. He went down and down and saw a golden city below the waters.
The beautiful maiden was sitting on a golden couch surrounded by young and pretty vidyadhans(Celestial songstresses) in a golden palace there. On seeing him she sent a vidyadhari to him. She told him, "This is Ratnamanjari the daughter of Kandarpakeli the
king of the Vidyadharas, She has vowed that she would marry anyone who would defy death by jumping into the sea after seeing her and succeed in visiting the golden city. So she is wilting to marry you."He was delighted and married Ratnamanjari according to the Gandharva(A love marriage, with no rituals whatever) rights. They lived in the golden palace in great luxury enjoying heavenly comforts. There was a golden statue of Swarnarekha(The presiding deity of mirages. When touched by reality the mirage disappears and we are kicked back to reality) in the great hall. Ratnamanjari told him, "Do not ever touch that statue, my lord, for that will spell ruin." Kandarpaketu's curiosity was roused. One day when Ratnamanjari was away, he touched Swarnrekha's statue. The statue thereupon kicked him back into the world and Simhaladvipa.
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