the prologue as follows: Rajavahan (राजवाहन) Somadatta (सोमदत्त) Pushpodbhava (पुष्पोद्भव) Apahaarvarman (अपहारवर्मन) Upahaaravarman (उपहारवर्मन) Arthapala (अर्थपाल) Pramati (प्रमति) Mitragupta (मित्रगुप्त) Mantragupta (मंत्रगुप्त) Vishruta (विश्रुत). Prologue The first two chapters of the prologue form the frame story. I King Rajahamsa of Magadha is defeated in a war by the rival King Manasara of Malwa, and thence retires into the Vindhya forest together with his ministers. During his sojourn, he and his ministers respectively sire sons. Several other young men are brought to his dwelling due to various incidents (e.g., one is rescued from a river, another from a tiger, and still another wanders off from a battlefield during a skirmish). These altogether make the ten Kumaras. The men are schooled in several disciplines such as law, grammar, astrology, music, medicine and warfare. II The men are dispatched together by the King for a Digvijaya (world conquest). Prince Rajavahan comes across a Matanga Brahmana. The latter lures him into a scheme to conquer Patala (the netherworld), and the two disappear into the earth through a chasm. After the scheme is accomplished (and the Brahmana marries the daughter of the King of Asuras), Rajavahan returns to earth, only to find that his friends have all scattered away. Eventually, the young men will meet again and relate their adventures, which will form the body of the present work. Rajavahan travels to Ujjain, where he meets Somadatta. The latter begins his narrative. III Somadatta had gone to Ujjain in search of the lost Prince, where King Mattakala has usurped King Viraketu. Somadatta finds a jewel near a river, and then gives it to a destitute Brahmana in charity. The latter has him imprisoned as a jewel thief. Somadatta discovers that his fellow prisoners are loyal to the minister of King Viraketu. They break free from the prison, raise an army and overthrow the usurper. The old king is restored to the throne and Somadatta marries his daughter. At the end of this narrative, Rajavahan and Somadatta accidentally meet Pushpodbhava and ask him to relate his adventures. The latter begins his narrative. IV Pushpodbhava saves a man falling from a cliff, who turns out to be his father, who had tried to commit suicide after becoming despondent for having lost his family. Shortly afterwards, he saves a woman from throwing herself in fire due to grief; this turns out to be his mother. Later Pushpodbhava acquires