कभी सुदास नामक एक राजा एक घने वन में शिकार खेलता अपने साथियों से बिछुड़ गया। थकान से चूर, घोड़े से उतर वह एक पेड़ के नीचे बैठ गया वहाँ बैठते ही उसे गहरी नींद आ गई।

तभी उसके सुन्दर शरीर के देख एक सिंहनी आकृष्ट हुई और प्यार से उसके पैरों को चाटने लगी। जब सुदास की नींद टूटी तो उसे भी सिंहनी से प्रेम हो गया। दोनों के सम्बन्ध से सिंहनी ने कलमसपदास नामक एक पुत्र को जन्म दिया। फिर तीनों साथ रहने लगे। कुछ दिनों तक राजा उनके साथ रहता रहा फिर वह किसी तरह मार्ग ढूँढ अपने राज्य को लौट आया।

जब राज्य में सुदास के लौटने का उत्सव मनाया जा रहा था तो उसने चुपके से सिंहनी और अपने बच्चे को भी राजमहल में प्रविष्ट करा लिया। और फिर वहीं अपने परिवार के साथ सुखपूर्वक रहने लगा।

O nce, Sudasa a king of Varanasi went on a hunting expedition in a dense forest; and lost his way. Tired and separated from his men he dismounted from his horse and slept under a tree. Charmed by his physical beauty and masculinity a lioness started licking his face and his horse watched her in horror. When the king woke up and saw the lioness in a seductive gesture, he accepted her invitation and married her. In course of time she bore him a son, who was called Kalmasapadasa. (The story of Kalmasapasada is narrated in the Sutasoma Jataka). Since then he enjoyed living in the forest with his lioness espouse.

One day, he thought of returning to his kingdom. So, he looked for the way, back to his city and eventually succeeded. He came to the fringe of the forest near Varanasi and asked the lioness to wait for him; and himself went to his kingdom and announced his return. When his return was being celebrated he engineered a plot to let the lioness sneak inside the palace. Thus he brought his family back home safely.

The lioness sneaking inside the palace, Ajanta