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Hearne this wonderful and heavenly theme Lakshmana was highly gratified and said to Rama “ O K&kuthstha, how did that twice-born ote worshipped by the celestials and the kitig regain theit bodies, after being bodiless.” Heating the words of Lakshmana, Rama, having trutlr for his prowess, began to relate the story of Vasishtha. “ O foremsot

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of Raghus; there spang up two foremost Brahmin saints; from the vital enetgy distharged by the high-souled Mitra and Varuna into the pot. At first therefrom rose up the illustrious Rishi Agastya and saying ‘I am not thine son” went away leaving Mitra. Before the vital energy of Varuna was thrown into the pot Mitra discharged his own on Urvasi’s account which was the ‘source of Agastya’s birth. Into the pot in which Mitra’s energy was discharged Varuna also put his own,and both the energies were mixed up. Thereupon after some time from the energies of both Mitra and Varuna sprang up the effulzent Vasishtha—the priest of Ikshawkus. O gentle one, the highly effulgent Ikshawku appointed that blameless Rishi as the priest of our family as soon as he was bern. I have thus described to you the story of Vasishtha’s birth possessing a wonderful body. Hear now what befell the king Nimi. And beholding the king Nimi bodiless the intelligent Rishi initiated him into the rites of sacrifice. And those leading twice-born ones, with as- . sembled citizens and servants, began to protect that body with unguents, garlands and clothes. Thereupon at the end of the sacrifice Vrigu said ‘“‘O king, I am propitiated with thee ; I shall restore thee to setises.” Thereupon the celestials, highly pleased, addressed the consciousness of Nimi saying “O royal saint, do thou accept boons ; where shall we place thy consciousness ?”’ Thereupon being addressed by the celestials the consciousness said “I may live in the eyes of the celestials.’ They agreed to it and said “O lord of earth, for thee, their eyes shall be influenced within a moment. The exhaustion, that their eyes shall experience on account of thy moving about as the air, shall be removed within this moment.” Having said this the celestials repaired to their respective quarters and the high-souled Rishis having conveyed Nimi’s body to the sacrificial ground and dedicated it as an edy began to churn it with great energy accompanied by incantations: They being thus engaged in

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churning the edy for the purpose of having a son of Nimi there sprang up a son of devout austerities. He was called Mitht for he originated from Manthana; he was called Fanma for his having sprung up from Fanan and Vaideha from having been born from Videha. In this wise Janaka, the first king of Videhas, was born. His other name was Mitht and his family were celebrated as Mazthilas. O gentle one, I have thus related unto thee the wondrous births, in consequence of the curse, of the great ascetic Vasishtha and the royal saint Nimi.