“What is your friend’s name, and what beautiful family is she from?”
The attendant replied…
“She is the sister of Mitrāvasu, and the daughter of Viśvāvasu, the King of the Siddhas, and her name is Malayavatī.”
एवम् उक्त्वा सहृदया सा तं जीमूतवाहनम् ।
नामान्वयौ च पृष्ट्वास्य मुनिपुत्रं सहागतम् ॥ १२,२३.५१ ॥
तां ब्रवीति स्म मलयवतीं स्मितमिताक्षरम् ।
सखि विद्याधरेन्द्रस्य नास्यातिथ्यं करोषि किम् ॥ १२,२३.५२ ॥
जगत्पूज्यो ऽतिथिर् ह्य् एष प्राप्त इत्य् उदिते तया ।
साभूद् विद्याधरसुता तूष्णीं लज्जानतानना ॥ १२,२३.५३ ॥
लज्जावतीयं मत्तो ऽर्चा गृह्यताम् इति वादिनी ।
एकाथ तत् सखी तस्मै सार्घ्यां मालाम् उपानयत् ॥ १२,२३.५४ ॥
स चादायैव जीमूतवाहनः प्रेमनिर्भरः ।
कण्ठे मलयवत्यास् तां मालां तस्याः समर्पयत् ॥ १२,२३.५५ ॥
सापि तिर्यक्प्रसृतया पश्यन्ती स्निग्धया दृशा ।
नीलोत्पलमयीं मालाम् इव तस्मिन् न्यवेशयत् ॥ १२,२३.५६ ॥
And when she had said this to Jīmūtavāhana, the maid asked Mitrāvasu his name and where he was from, and then she smiled at Malayavatī and said…
“My dear, why don’t you welcome this prince of the Vidyādharas? This guest his indeed worthy of being honored….”
Malayavatī remained silent, her shyness getting the better of her as she bent her head and made little circles with the toes of her right foot.
The maid then turned to Jīmūtavāhana and said…
“Oh, this girl is very shy. Let me welcome you instead…”
She then performed the arghya, offering the guests water to wash their feet and hands, and then garlanded him with sweet-smelling flowers.
Jīmūtavāhana, who as already deep in love, took it off and threw it around the neck of Malayavatī. She blushed, and looked at him with loving glances, her looks seeming like a garland of blue lotuses.
to be continued…