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A WOMAN, brought up with Kaikeyi, who formerly served as a maid-servant, the family of her maternal uncle, at her own will, ascended the palace resembling the moon. Manthar4 beheld from the palace the high-ways of Ayodhy& well watered all round, and strewn with lotuses, and adorned with standards bearing gay pennons ; with thoroughfares and roads leading along undulating lands ; sprinkled with sandal water, and crowded with men who had performed their ablu tions; and echoing with the accents of regenerate ones bearing garlands and sweetmeats in their hands ; and having the doorways of the temples painted white ; and resounding with the sounds of musical instruments; and filled with many folks ; and singing with Veda chantings; and with its horses and elephants delighted, and cows and bulls emit-

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ting roars; and with standards displaying flags erected by the exhilarated citizens. Upon seeing Ayodhya (in such excitement) Manthara was seized with exceeding surprise, Manthara, seeing a nutse hard by clad in white silk, with her eyes expanded with delight, asked her, saying,—‘‘What for Rama’s mother although close-fisted, is cheerfully and with the greatest possible alacrity dispensing wealth unto the people ? And what for is the general overflow of joy ? And what doth the delighted monarch purpose todo?” Thereupon bursting with very great delight, the nurse communicated unto the hump-backed woman the high fortune awaiting Rama, saying,—“To-morrow under Pushyd, king Dagaratha will install the sinless Raghava having his anger under control, as heir-apparent to the throne.” Hearing the words of the nurse, thé hump-backed one, speedily growing angry, descended from the edifice resembling a summit of the Kailacga hill. Burning in ire, the sin-seeking Manthara addressed Kaikeyi, lying down, saying,—"Up, ye senseless one} What for art thou downy A great danger approacheth thee. Thou understandeth not that a mighty grief overfloweth thee. Thou boastest of good fortune while misfortune is thine in the shape of luck. Thy good fortune is surely unstable like the tide of a river during summer. Thus addressed by the sin-seeking hump-backed (hag) in exceedingly harsh language, Kaikeyi became afflicted with great grief. And Kaikeyi said unto the hump-backed one,—“‘Is any evil present, O Manthara ? I do not find thee with countenance fallen and sore distressed with grief.” The hump-backed Manthara, skilled in speech, who really sought Kaikeyi’s welfare, hearing the latter’s sweet-accented words, displaying sorrow greater than Kaikeyi’s own, lamenting, and enlisting Kaikeyi’s feelings against Rama, uttered words inflamed with anger, saying,—“O worshipful one, an enduring and terrible destruction is imminent unto thee. King Dagaratha will install Rama as heir-apparent. I have been

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sunk in a fathomless fear ; and am afflicted with grief and heaviness. And as if burning in fire I, seeking. thy welfare, have come unto thee. For, O Kaikeyi, great waxeth my grief on witnessing thy sorrow ; and my advancement progresseth along with thine. There is no doubt about this. Born in a race of king thou art the queen of this lord of earth, Why dost not thou then realise the sternness of royal morality. Thy maintainer speaketh most morally; but is crafty for all that: he speaketh blandly, but hath a crooked heart. Him thou takest as of blessed condition; and therefore art gulled. Speaking unto thee soft words bare of substance, he will, his heart on the alert, to-day compass the welfare of Kaugalya. Having sent Bharata unto the home of thy relatives, that wickedminded one will establish Rama in his ancestral kingdom rid of its thorn. Thou, O girl, in consideration of thy welfare, hast like unto a mother taken unto thy lap a venomous snake in the form of thy husband. Even what is done by an enemy or a serpent left alone, is being done by Dagaratha of wicked ways and false soothing speech, unto thee and thy own son. And, O girl, deserving as thou art of happiness, the king having established Rama in the kingdom ; thou wilt be annihilated along with thy own. The time hath come, O Kaikayi,—do thou on the spur enter upon that which would turn to thy advantage. And, O thou, influenced by surprise, do thou deliver thyself, me and Bharata also.” Hearing Manthara’s words, that one of graceful countenance filled with delight, and looking like the autumnal moon-light, rose up from her bed. Inspired with exceeding joy, Kaikeyi, struck with surprise, made unto the hump-backed woman a present of an excellent and elegant ornament. And having given her the ornament, that paragon among the fair Kaikeyi joyfully, addressed Manthara, saying,—"“O Manthara! highly welcome is the news that thou hast communicated unto me. And surely thou hast told

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me what is dear unto my heart, what shall I do for thee ? Difference find I none between Rama and Bharata. Therefore delighted am I that the king purposeth installing Rama in the kingdom. There is no other ambrosial speech that is excellent and acceptable unto me, compared with the installation of Rama. Therefore do thou ask of me whatever reward dost thou want and I shall give thee.”