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we are engaged in, let him do what he can." When the rishi Nárada had been thus addressed by the Asura Maya, he said " I will do so," and took back to the king of the gods that answer to his message. When that hermit had departed, the Asura Maya thus spake to king Chandraprabha, who was apprehensive on account of the message of Indra, " You must not be afraid of Indra; even if he is on the side of Śrutaśarman in fight, with the hosts of the gods, out of hostility to us, still we Daityas and Dánavas are countless in number, and under the leadership of Prahláda we are ranged together on your side. And if the destroyer of Tripura*[1] favours us and is active on our side, what other miserable creature in the three worlds has any power? So set about this expedition, heroes." When Maya said this, all those there were pleased, and considered that it was as he said.
Then in accordance with the messages carried by the ambassadors, in course of time all the kings, Vírabhata and the others, assembled there, and all the other friends and relatives of Chandraprabha. When these kings with their armies had been duly honoured, the Asura Maya again said to Chandraprabha, " Perform to-night, O king, a great sacrifice in honour of Śiva; afterwards you shall do all as I direct." When he heard this speech of Maya's, king Chandraprabha immediately had preparations made for a sacrifice to Śiva. Then he went to the forest at night, and under the instructions of Maya, himself performed devoutly a sacrifice to Rudra. And while the king was engaged in the fire-offering, there suddenly appeared there Nandin the prince of the host of Bhútas. He was honoured duly by the delighted king, and said— " The god Śiva himself sends this command by me, ' Through my favour thou needst not fear even a hundred Indras; Súryaprabha shall become emperor of the sky-goers.' " After he had delivered this message, Nandin received a portion of the offering and disappeared with the hosts of Bhútas. Then Chandraprabha became confident in the future elevation of his son, and after completing the sacrifice, at the end of the fire-offering, re-entered the city with Maya.
And the next morning, when king Chandraprabha was sitting in secret conclave together with the queen, his son, the kings and his ministers, the Asura Maya said to him— " Listen, king, I will to-day tell you a secret long guarded; you are a Dánava, Sunitha by name, my mighty son, and Súryaprabha is your younger brother, named Sumundika; after you were slain in the war of the gods, you were born here as father and son. That Dánava body of yours has been preserved by me skilfully embalmed with heavenly drugs and ghee. Therefore you must enter a cavern and visit Pátála, and then return to your own body by a charm which I will teach you. And when you have entered that body, you will be so much superior in spirit and strength, that you will conquer in fight the wanderers of the
- ↑ * i.e., Śiva.
