Once upon a time there was a king named Shray , who ruled over a people known as the narayanvanshi. Now this Shray was the first of kings. In person he was strong and handsome, full of kingly honour, and gracious in his bearing. He loved archery and hunting, and all the sports of monarchs. And one special gift was his, inan extraordinary degree, the knowledge, namely, of the management of horses. Thus in beauty, in character, infortune, and in power, there was scarcely in the whole world another king like Shray .
If there were one, it could only be Ashoka , King of the Nanda empire , a sovereign of heroic nature and great courage, deeply loved by all his subjects. Now Ashoka had three sons and one daughter, the Princess Rohi. And the fame of Rohi, for her mingling of beauty and sweetness, and royal grace and dignity, had gone throughout the world. Never had one so lovely been seen before. She was said to shine, even in the midst of the beauty of her handmaidens, like the bright lightning amidst the dark clouds. And the hearts of the very gods were filled with gladness whenever they looked upon this exquisite maiden.
It happened that constantly before rohi, the minstrels and heralds chanted the praises of shray, and before shray those of Rohi,till the two began to dream of each other, with an attachment that was not born of sight. And Shray, conscious of the love that was awakening within him, began to pass much of his time in the gardens of his palace, alone. And it came to pass that one day he saw there a flock of wild swans with golden wings, and from amongst them he caught with his hands one. And the bird was much afraid, and said, "O King, slay me not! Release me, and I will go to Rohi and so speak to her of thee, that she will desire to wed thee, and no other in the world!" Musing, and stroking the wings of the swan, Shray heard his words, and saying, "Ah, then do thou indeed even so!" opened his hands, and let him go free.
Then the swans flew up and away to the city of the Nanda empire , and alighted in thepalace gardens before Rohiand her maidens. And all the beautiful girls scattered immediately,to run after the fleeing birds, trying each to catch one. But that after which Rohiran, led her away to a lonely place, and addressed her in human speech. "Peerless amongst men, 0 Rohi;!" it said, "is Shray, King of the Nishadas. Accept thou him! Wed thou with him! Ever happy and blessed is the union of the best with the best!" The Princess stood with head bowed and folded hands, a soon as she understood what the swan would say; but when he ended, she looked up with a smile and a sigh. "Dear bird!" she said, "speak thou even thus unto him also!"
And the hand-maidens of Rohi from this time on, began to notice that she grew abstracted. She wandered much alone. She sighed and became pale, and in the midst of merriment, her thoughts would be far away. Then, delicately and indirectly, they represented the matter to Ashoka , and he, reflecting that his daughter was now grown up, realised that her marriage ought to be arranged, and sent out messages all over the country that on a certain day her Swayamvara would be held.
From every part, at this news, came the kings, attended by their body-guards, and travelling in the utmost splendour,