Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/484

 and the men and Asuras having won the victory by sheer force stopped the combat, and went each of them to their own camps. At that time two Vidyádharas, chiefs of captains of bands of warriors, who had deserted the cause of Śrutaśarman, came, introduced by Sumeru, and said to Súryaprabha, after bowing before him: " We are named Maháyána and Sumáya, and this Sinhabala was the third of us; we had obtained magic power by having the rule of a great cemetery, and were unassailable by the other Vidyádharas. While we, such as you have heard, were once taking our ease in a corner of the great cemetery, there came to us a good witch named Śarabhánaná, of great and godlike power, who is always well disposed towards us. We bowed before her and asked her, ' Where have you been, honoured lady, and what have you seen there strange?' She thereupon related this adventure."

Adventure of the witch Śarabhánaná.:—' I went with the witches to visit my master, the god Mahákála,* and while I was there, a king of the Vetálas came and reported: " See, O master, the chiefs of the Vidyádharas have killed our commander-in-chief named Agnika, and one named Tejahprabha is swiftly carrying off his lovely daughter. But the holy sages have foretold that she shall be the wife of the emperor of the Vidyádharas, so grant us a boon, and have her released before he forcibly carries her off to a distance." When the god heard this speech of the afflicted Vetala, he said to me— " Go and set her free," then I went through the air and came up with the maiden. Tejahprabha said, " I am carrying off the girl for our rightful emperor Śrutaśarman," but I paralyzed him by my magic power, and bringing back the maiden, gave her to my master. And he made her over to her own family. I in truth went through this strange adventure. Then I remained there some days, and after taking a reverent farewell of the god I came here.'

" When that witch Śarabhánaná had said this, we said to her— ' Tell us, who is to be the future emperor of the Vidyádharas? You in truth know all.' She said— ' Súryaprabha will certainly be.' Whereupon Sinhabala said to us— ' This is untrue, for have not the gods and Indra girded up their loins to support the cause of Śrutaśarman?' When the noble woman heard that, she said to us— ' If you do not believe this, listen; I tell you that soon there will be war between Súryaprabha and Śrutaśarman, and when this Sinhabala shall be slain before your eyes by a man in battle, you will recognise this token, and will know that this speech of mine is true.' When that witch had said this, she departed, and those days passed away, and now we have seen with our own eyes, that in truth this Sinhabala has been slain. Relying upon that, we think that you are indeed appointed emperor of all the Vidyádharas, and submitting ourselves to your rule, we have