Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/462

 tics on the bank of the eastern Ganges, the dwelling of Sumeru the king; of the Vidyádharas. There Sumeru received them with all honour, as they had come on a friendly visit, having been told the whole story by Maya, and remembering the previous command of Śiva. And while Chandraprabha and the others were in that place, they summoned each of them all their own forces, and also their relations and friends. First came those princes, the sons of the fathers-in-law of Súryaprabha, who had acquired from Maya the required sciences, eager for the fray. They were sixteen in number, headed by Haribhata, and each was followed by a force consisting of a myriad of chariots, and two myriads of footmen. After them came the Daityas and Dánavas true to their agreement, brothers-in-law, fathers-in-law, friends and other connexions of Súryaprabha.

Hrishtaroman, and Mahámáya, and Sinhadanshtra and Prakampana, and Tantukachchha and Durároha, and Sumáya, and Vajrapanjara, and Dhúmaketu, and Pramathana, and the Dánava Vikatáksha, and many others came from as low down as the seventh under- world. One came with seven myriads of chariots, another with eight, another with six, and another with three, and the least powerful of all with one myriad. One brought three hundred thousand footmen, another two hundred thousand, another one hundred thousand, and the pettiest potentate of all fifty thousand. And each brought a corresponding number of horses and elephants. And another innumerable host came belonging to Maya and Sunítha. And Súryaprabha's own countless army also arrived, and those of Vasudatta and the other kings, and that of Sumeru.

Then the Asura Maya addressed this question to the hermit Suvásakumára, who came to him when thought of, in the presence of Súryaprabha and the others " Reverend sir, we cannot review this army here because it is scattered; so tell me where we could get a view of the whole army at once extended in long array." The hermit answered — "Not more than a yojana from here there is a place called Kalápagráma; go there and behold it drawn up in line." When the hermit said that, all the princes wont with him and Sumeru to Kalápagramá. There they made the armies of the Asuras and the kings take up their positions, and going to an elevated spot they reviewed them separately. Then Sumeru said— " Śrutaśarman has the larger force, for he has under him a hundred and one chiefs of the Vidyádharas. And every single one of those chiefs is lord of two and thirty kings. Never mind ! I will draw away some and make them join you. So let us go in the morning to the place named Valmika. For to-morrow is the eighth lunar clay of the black fortnight of Phálguna, which is a high day. And on that day there is produced there a sign to show the future emperor, and for that reason the Vidyádharas are going there in a great hurry on that day.