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Serine his sister deformed, and covered with blood, fallen on the ground, the Rakshasa, Khara, fired with wrath asked her, saying, “Arise! Leave off fear and amazement. Tell me plainly by whom thou hast been thus deformed. Who is it that with his finger-end hath by way of sport hurt a black venomous snake that was innocent? He that coming in contact with thee hath to-day drunk virulent poison, winding a fatal noose round about his neck, knoweth it not through ignorance. Endowed with strength and prowess, ranging about at will, wearing shapes at pleasure, and resembling the destroyer himself, going to whom hast thou come by this condition? Who among the gods, Gandharbas or creatures or the high-souled saints is of such mighty energy as to have deformed thee? In this world I do not see him that would do me wrong. Even as a crane afflicted with thirst appropriateth milk mixed in water (leaving the latter out), so by means of fleet and life-destroying shafts will I among the immortals take the life of that chastiser of . Paka, the thousand-eyed mighty Indra. The frothy blood of whom, having his marrow pierced (by me) and slain by me: in battle, doth the Earth wish to drink? ‘Tearing off flesh from the corpse of whom slain by me in conflict, shall the birds so joyfully feed on it? Him, whom I shall wrong mightily, neither the gods, nor the Gandharbas, nor the Pic&chas*, nor the R&kshasas, will be able to rescue in * A kind of foul spirits.—T.

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fierce encounter. Reeovering by degrees thy sense, it hoves thee to tell me what individual it was of execr character, who by his prowess, hath humbled thee in forest.” Hearing these words of his brother, who was w the inHuence of extreme rage, Surpanakha with tears in eyes, said, ‘Tender, and endowed with beauty, possesse youth and gifted with great strength, with expansive | resembling white lotuses ; clad in bark and dark dear-sk subsisting on fruits and roots, having their senses under | trol; Icading an ascetic life and a Brahmacharya mod existence ; there are two sons of Dagcaratha the brothers R and Lakshmana resembling the Sovereign of the Gandhar and marked with signs betokening royalty. I cannot as tain whether they be celestials, or human beings. And tween them I saw there a youthful female furnished - grace, and having a dainty waist ; adorned with every kin ornament. And it is on account of this female that I 1 like one unchaste and uncared for, have come by this co tion at their hands. Nor! wish in the midst of encou to drink the frothy blood of that crooked one as well as tl two slain (in battle). Let this my prime wish be crow there with fruition. Her and their blood will I drink in dr ful conflict.” As she said this, Khara wrought up with bo less passion, said, ‘Two human beings accoutred in a and wearing bark and dark deer-skins have in company afemale entered this deep Dandaka forest. Do ye ret after slaying them, as well as that wicked one. And sister of mine will drink their blood. Ye Rakshasas, « this is my sister’s dear desire. Repairing thither, spec accomplish this, bearing them down by your native m Seeing those two brothers slain by you. this one, exceedi rejoiced, will drink their blood in the field’ Thus com sioned, those fourteen Rakshasas set out there like cl driven by the winds, accompanied by Surpanakha.