Page:The Indian Antiquary, Vol. 4-1875.djvu/255

 242 THE INDIAN ANTIQUAET, TAtrorffT, 1870. shipper of Vishnu and performed many sacrifices. Lions and deer, cats and dogs, peacocks and serpents, which are nut anil enemies of each other, lived in peace in his kingdom. One day NArads, having wandered on the asi-th, came to uarden in heaven which is called Nandan V»ua> and not having yet seen any quarrel ho was greatly aCDIclvd. He taid to himself that until he hud hoard the clashing of the weapons of combatant*, nnd until ho had Been streams of blood j his sonl could not be at rest, He th uru fore proposed to himself to bring about enmity bet wean India and Bali, Aceor lifl went to the eonrt of Indra, and there, after praising ITali, he said, *0 Indra, Ball does not even care to notice yon. Your cahutaal darnels desire to moke love to him. Tour wives also picture to themselves the figure of Buli and think of him night and day* He is u Duityu, and theroforoan enemy of yours. You should wage war with him,' Inflamed by this npoech of NArtuhv, Irulm called the com* raander of hie forces and ordered him to hold in rc&diiic&s his troops without losing time, as ho said he wanted to go to chastise H«J« Bali. Rrihaspati, the minister of the gods, who was silting by, advised lndra not to enter preci- pitatdy into host i]i tins with Bali, nn i talcing any notion, to consult Vishnu, who, ha said, was the disposer of the affairs of the uni- verse and who was cognizant of everything, lndra I hereupon despatched the seven Bishis to the mountain of Mandira to invite Vishnu. The sevan ran with haste. N Arada also follow ed them. On his way NAradn saw some Rjslus, the chief of wham was Vulkhuya (whoae body was jus small us a man's thumb), bathing in the river which flowed by the side of the moun- tain of II I NArada bowed to ' and informing tliem of the mission of tho seven, proposed that they should wait there to salute them, ns they would bo returning with Vi-shnn. At i.hiA ifialaut Vishnu and the seven camo up, who, seeing the small figure or Val- kliilya and the other ftiahis, laughed nt them- i utter got exceedingly angry ami r Vishnu, saying, 'Thou shall ha also as dwarfish as we are.' When Vishnu heard this bo turned pole, nud ho and the seven begged TO, and entreated Vnlkbilyn and the others to have mercy on them. They granted pardon, > tat he should be Tree (rem this curse when he should in the course of his holy tour on the earth as an incarnate being, have arrived in VastrflpRtha, by which cirenm- ■IJBUWk they said, the place would be holier than PrubkAsa even, by as mueh as u barley com, and Lhut his body, by some mysterious cause, would then assume vast proportions. After this incident the seven Rishis and NAmdu camo back to Indra and informed him that Vishnu would go down to the earth under the name of Viman, and, assuming a dwarfish form, n punish Bati. Xow Vishnu became incarnate in the world assuming a atnall figure, and after somen time, pursuing his holy tour, arrived at Vastrii pallia. Having bathed in the Svaraa- rekha, he bethought himself; ' Shall I first go to see SomanAtka or Bhavuuut ha P * He than resolved that he would practise such severe austerities that hSotnanAtha himself should come to him he began his devotion. Some days having passed in such austerities, SomanAtha caused a eUasiiu iu the earth and came out in the form of a lings and ntood before Vaman. He desired VAutan to ask whatever ho wished. VAtnan, with Joined palms, said, * My lord, if you aru pleased with me, be so gracious as to reside hero. 1 further desire that a town may bo founded here, to be called after my name/ Siva expressed compliance and disappeared, Vaman than set out towards the TTjtyrvnta, and On his way saw five persons glowing like fire. Viman was astonished to see them, and asked who I hey were. One of tliem said iu reply that he was Eknp&ds ('the one-footed"). Another said h« was (iiriilitrana. The third gave his name as Sinhanitda {* lion's roar'). Tho fourth said lus name was MeghanAda (thunder). Tho namoof the fifth wm Kalmegha. They declared that they wara tho guardians of the holy place, and that thsy were pleased with him. VAman bo- sought them to do him Hie favour or remain* ing there to guard the Ksiu itrn. Thereupon Eka* pAda took his station at the foot of tho mono- faak {iiridarnna ehosa the top of the mountain for his abods Uoghoaadft quartered himself on thesumnm of the Ujiyahta; the HhavAnipeak was appropriated by SiiihnnAds ; and KAimogha con- tented himself with the (sinks of tho Svaraa- i-ckhA. VAman then worshipped these guardians of tho Kshotra and ascended Ujiysiito. Ho bo- held BhavAni, and as he was greeting the sun bo saw Siva in tin. air. He thereupon praised