Long ago the city of Vardhamana was ruled by a king Virabhuja. Virabhuja's favorite wife among all his wives was Queen Gunavara. Though Virabuja had many wives, none of them had any children.
Finally, Virabhuja called the court physician and asked the court physician to prepare an elixir. The king wanted to give the elixir to his wives so they could bear him children.The court physician needed a wild goat to prepare the elixir.
The king looked around and found a good animal and gave it to the court physician.
At the time, the physician prepared the elixir, Queen Gunavara was busy with the king and getting him ready.
Queen Ayasolekha and the other queens of King Virabhuja were with the physician and they did not remind the physician about the fact that Queen Gunavara had not yet come.
Soon when queen Gunavara and the king came to meet the royal physician, only the portion of the elixir made from the horns of the wild goat was left over.
The queen however happily drank the elixir.
In due course children were born to all the Queens.
As Queen Gunavara’s son was born from the horn of the wild goat, Queen Gunavara’s son was called as Srungabhuja as Srunga meant horn in Sanskrit.
Queen Ayasolekha was naturally jealous of Gunvara.
After the birth of Srungabhuja things became worse.
In a fit of rage and envy, Ayasolekha along with the other queens spread a rumour that Gunavara was not faithful to the king.
When the king heard this he was very angry. But he realized that he had to ascertain the truth of the entire matter.
According to the rumours in the palace, Gunavara had been close to one of the servants of the palace - Surakshita.
So the king first removed Surakshita from the palace. He made sure that Surakshita was sent on a pilgrimage around the entire country.
Surakshita was innocent and though he found it odd, he did not see anything wrong in the king's words and he did as he was told.
After that the king went to see Gunavara in her quarters.
Gurunawara immediately realized that something was wrong with the king.
Finally the king told his wife the well rehearsed story that the court astrologer had wanted Gunavara in a closed cellar for sometime because otherwise the court astrologer had predicted that the king would meet his end.
Gunavara did not doubt the king’s words and immediately agreed to stay in a cellar.
The king had a cellar constructed in her own quarters and Gunavara agreed not to step out of it.
Adapted from the Katha Sarith Sagara
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