Page:The Tale of the Tulsi Plant and Other Stories.djvu/18

 sanctity let us return to India. And here we shall not be disappointed. For this is the tale that is told in the Padma Purana by Naradmuni to King Prithuraj. One day when Indra went to seek for Shiva in Kailas, his heaven, ludra saw no one except a man of terrifying aspect, of whom he asked whither Shiva had gone. The inaii stood silent, although Indra repeated several times the question. Then Indra grew angry and hurled at him his thunderbolt. The man disappeared and iii his place stood Shiva, who was so wroth, that to save Indra’s life, Brahaspati, the priest of the gods, had to throw himself at Shiva’s feet, and thus obtain Indra’s life as a boon. Bat the lightning, that in Shiva’s wrath had, to kill indra, flashed from his third eye, could not return whence it caine, so Shiva, that Indra might not be struck, hurled it into the sea where the Gauges meets it. And of the union of that lightning with Ocean a boy vas born whom Brahmadov caught up to liiniolt and to whoiii he gave the imaine of Jalaiidhar 01 Sea-seized. And to him Brahmadev gave the boon that by no hand but Shiva’s could lie perish. Jalatidliar grew up strong and tall and conquered the kings of the earth and in due time married Vrinda, the daughter of the demon Kalimemi. • And under the rule of Jalandhar tho demons, who had been by the gods driven into hell, came forth and urged Jalandhar to *