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Hearine those words of Surpanakh&, able to make one’s hair stand on end, (R4vana) ascertaining his course after issuing his orders to his councellors, departed. And proposing to himself that act, weighing its good and evil, considering his capacity or otherwise, and (finally) determining his purpose, R&vana with a fixed mind went to the handsome stable. And going to the stable in disguise, the Tord of the R&akshasasas commanded the charioteer, saying, “Yoke the car.’ Thus asked, the chariateer possessed of fleet vigor, in a trice, yoked an excellent car after his heart. And ascending the car coursing at will, made of gold and garnished with spectral faces as well as arrow decked with gold,—resembling a mass of clouds, the graceful ruler of the Rikshasas—younger brother to the Lord of wealth—proceeded in that noiseless (vehicle), past the lord of rivers and streams. And with chouris of white hair, and a white umbrella, having ten-faces, resembling (in hue) cool lapises, wearing ornaments of polished gold, possessed of ten mouths, and twenty arms, clad in elegant apparel,—the foe of the celestials, and slayer of the foremost ascetics—having huge heads like unto the morarch af mountains, the lord of the Rakshasas, mounted on that chariot coursing at will, appeared beautiful like a mass of clouds in the sky, with cranes, in the midst of lightning. And that one possessed of prowess beheld the shore of the sea, containing crags, scattered with trees bearing fruits and flowers of various kinds by thousands, bordered all around with pools furnished with cool and~ delightful waters, ornamented with spacious asylums having daises, graced with woods of plantain, beauteous with cocoanuts, and blossoming sdé/a and palmyra, and ¢amd/a, trees, grateful with supreme saints rigidly restraining their fear, and with serpents and fowls of fair feathers and Gandharbas

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and Kinnaras by thousands; and pleasant with Siddhas and Chiranas, that have controlled their lust ; with those descendants of Brahm&’—the Vaikhanas, the M&shas, the Valakhilyas, and the Marichipas; swarming with females, ' divinely beautiful, dight with gorgeous ornaments and garlands, and Apsar4s skilled in sport, by thousands; frequented by the wives of the celestials, and honored by graceful girls ; ranged by multitudes of deities and Danavas, feeding on ams brosia ; abounding with swans, Kraunchas, and frogs, echoing to (the cries of) cranes; containing stones resembling the lapis, and mild and cool by the influence of the ocean. And as he proceeded, the younger brother of the Lord of wealth, saw on all sides spacious cars capable of coursing at will, sable, furnished with fair garlands, and resounding with trumpet notes,—and Gandharbas and Apsaras. And surveying by thousands woods of sandal exuding gum at their roots,* and of choice aguru, grateful unto the sense of smell; and woods and groves of excellent and odorous takkola fruits ; blossoms of the Tamla, and thickets of black pepper; heaps of pearls drying on the shore ; rocks; the best corals in masses ;f summits of gold and silver ;{ charming pellucid rills at places; and cities filled with corn and wealth, abounding in gems of women, and thronged with horses, elephants and cars—R4avana on the shore of the ocean beheld around a level and soft scene, resembling heaven itself—where breezes of delicate feel kept breathing. And there he saw a fig tree, hued like clouds, surrounded by ascetics; its branches stretched around an hundred Yoyanas, and the exceedingly powerful Garura had ascended one of its boughs, taking an elephant and a huge tortoise, for the purpose of devouring them. And that best * Niryydsurasamutanam, gen, (sandal), which forms the principal ingredient in perfumes, containing odorous gums.—T. + Another reading is : heaps of conch.—T. ¢ Some texts read sailam—Aills.—T.

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of birds, the powerful Suparna by his weight suddenly b a branch containing full many leaves. And it came to that Vaikhanasas, Mashas, Valakhilyas, Marichipas, A and Dhumras,—saints of the highest order—had assem there. Thereat, moved by commisseration (for the ascetic: the virtuous Garura, taking with promptitude’ the broka bough measuring an hundred Yoyanas as well as the elephas and the tortoise, by one leg, at length eating up the anima and by means of the bough, exterminating the country d the Nishadas—that best of birds attained unequalled delight in consequence of having rescued the mighty ascetics Thereat, attaining double energy by virtue of that deligh that intelligent one set his heart on bringing ambrosia. Abd tearing off the iron links of the network, and bursting iste the repository of gem, he carried away secreted ambrosa from the residence of the great Indra. Kuvera’s younge brother beheld this fig tree, named Subhadra, graced with the Maharshi, on which Suparna had left his mark Then repairing to the other shore of that lord of rivers, the ocean, Ravana saw an asylum lying in the forest in a chare ing and sacred recess. And there he saw a Rakshasa, named Maricha, clad in a dark deer-skin, bearing a head of matted locks, subsisting on restricted fare. And approaching Ravana duly, the Rakshasa, Miricha, received the king with every hospitality passing human. And having entertained him personally with meats and drinks, Maricha addressed him in weighty words, saying, “O lord of the Rakshasas, 0 king, is it well with thee in Lanka? And what for hast thou again come hither so speedily ?” Thus addressed by M@richa, that highly powerful one, skilled in speech, Ravana said.