Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/463

 When Sumeru gave that opinion with regard to the army, they spent that day in accordance with the law, and went on the morrow to Valmíka in chariots with their army. There they encamped with shouting forces on the southern plateau of the Himálayas, and beheld many Vidyádhara kings that had arrived. And those Vidyádharas had lighted fires there in fire-cavities, and were engaged in sacrificing, and some were occupied with muttering prayers. Then, where Súryaprabha made a fire-cavity, the fire burst forth of itself, owing to the power of his magic science. When Sumeru saw it, he was pleased, but envy arose in the breasts of the Vidyádharas at the sight ; then one said to him " For shame, Sumeru ! why do you abandon your rank as a Vidyádhara, and follow this inhabitant of earth named Súryaprabha?" When Sumeru heard this, he angrily rebuked him. And when Súryaprabha asked his name, he said " There is a Vidyádhara of the name of Bhíma, and Brahmá loved his wife at will; from this connexion he sprang. Since he sprang from Brahmá in a secret way, he is called Brahmagupta. Hence he speaks in a style characteristic of his birth."

After saying this, Sumeru also made a fire-cavity. And in it Súryaprabha sacrificed with him to the god of Fire. And in a moment there suddenly rose from the hole in the ground an enormous and terrible serpent. In his arrogance, that chief of the Vidyádharas, named Brahmagupta, by whom Sumeru was blamed, ran to seize it. That serpent thereupon sent forth a hissing wind from its mouth, which carried Brahmagupta a hundred feet, and flung him down with such violence that he fell like a withered leaf. Then a chief of the Vidyádharas, named Tejahprabha, ran to seize it; he was flung away by it in the same manner. Then a lord of the Vidyádharas, named Dushtadamana, approached it; he was hurled back like the others by that blast from its mouth. Then a prince of the sky-goers, named Virúpaśakti, approached it ; he too was flung away as easily as a blade of grass by that breath. Then two kings, named Angaraka and Vijrimbhaka, ran towards it together; and it flung them to a distance with its breath. Thus all the princes of the Vidyádharas were flung away one after another, and rose up with difficulty, with their limbs bruised with stones. Then Śrutaśsarman, in his pride, went forward to seize the serpent; but it hurled him back with the blast of its breath like the others. He fell at a short distance, and rose up again, and ran again towards it; when it carried him a greater distance with its breath, and flung him to earth. Then Śrutaśarman rose up abashed, with bruised limbs, and Sumeru sent Súryaprabha to lay hold of the serpent. And then the Vidyádharas ridiculed him, saying, " Look ! he too is trying to catch the snake ! O ! these men, thoughtless as monkey?, imitate whatever they see another doing." Even while they were mocking him, Súryaprabha went and seized the serpent,