Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/473

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447

mountain of Trikúta bis dwelling-place, be encamped, driving away the enemies' army with his own force, which was established there. And while he was encamped there with Sumeru, Maya, and others, and was in the hall of council, an ambassador came from the lord of Trikúta. And when he came, he said to Sumeru the Vidyádhara prince; " The king, the father of Śrutaśarman, sends you this message. ' We have never entertained you, as you were far off; now you have arrived in our territory with guests, so now we will shew you appropriate hospitality.' " When Sumeru beard this scoffingly ambiguous message, he said in answer: " Bravo ! you will not get another guest such a fit object of hospitality as we are. Hospitality will not bear its fruit in the next world, its fruit is in this. So here we are, entertain us." When Sumeru said this, .the ambassador returned to his master as he came.

Then Súryaprabha and the others, established upon an elevated place, surveyed their armies encamped separately. Then Sunítha said to his father-in-law the Asura Maya: "Explain to me the arrangement of the warriors in our army." Then that all-knowing prince of the Dánavas said, " I will do so, listen;" and pointing them out with his finger, he began to say— "These kings Subáhu, Nirgháta, Musbtika, and Gohara, and Pralamba, and Pramátha, and Kankata, and Pingala, and Vasudatta and others, are considered half -power warriors.*[1] And Ankurin, and Suviśála, and Dandin, and Bhúshana, and Somila, and Unmattaka, and Devaśarman, and Pitriśarman, and Kumáraka, and Haridatta and others are all full-power warriors. And Prakampana, and Darpita, and Kumbhíra, and Mátripálita, and Mahábhata, and Vírasvámin, and Surádhara, and Bhándíra, and Sinhadatta and Gunavarman, with Kítaka and Bhíma and Bhayankara, these are all warriors of double power. And Virochana, and Vírasena, and Yajnasena, and Khujjara, and Indravarman, and Śevaraka, and Krúrakarman, and Nirásaka, these princes are of triple power, my son. And Suśarman, and Báhuśálin, and Viśákha, and Krodhana, and Prachanda.— these princes are warriors of fourfold power. And Junjarin, and Víraśarman, and Pravíravara, and Supratijna and Maráráma, and Chandadanta, and Jálika, and the three, Sinhabhuta, Vyághrabhata, and Śatrubhata, these kings and princes are warriors of fivefold power. But this prince Ugravarman is a warrior of sixfold power. And the prince Viśoka, and Sutantu, and Sugama, and Narendraśarman are considered warriors of sevenfold power. And this king Sahasráyu is a great warrior. But this Śatáníka is lord of a host of great warriors. And Subhása, Harsha, and Vimala, the companions of Súryaprabha, Mahábuddhi and Achalabuddhi, Priyankara and Śubhan-

  1. * For a parallel to the absurdities that follow, see Campbell's West Highland Tales, p. 202.