Reading section 106

438 Vásuki.

439 Garuḍ.

440 The War-God.

441 One of the Pleiades generally regarded as the model of wifely excellence.

442 The Madhúka, or, as it is now called, Mahuwá, is the Bassia latifolia, a tree from whose blossoms a spirit is extracted.

443 “I should have doubted whether Manu could have been the right reading here, but that it occurs again in verse 29, where it is in like manner followed in verse 31 by Analá, so that it would certainly seem that the name Manu is intended to stand for a female, the daughter of Daksha. The Gauḍa recension, followed by Signor Gorresio (III 20, 12), adopts an entirely different reading at the end of the line, viz. _Balám Atibalám api_, ‘Balá and Atibilá,’ instead of Manu and Analá. I see that Professor Roth s.v. adduces the authority of the Amara Kosha and of the Commentator on Páṇini for stating that the word sometimes means ‘the wife of Manu.’ In the following text of the Mahábhárata I. 2553. also, Manu appears to be the name of a female: ‘_Anaradyam_, _Manum_, _Vañsám_, _Asurám_, _Márgaṇapriyám_, _Anúpám_, _Subhagám_, _Bhásím iti_, _Prádhá vyajayata_. Prádhá (daughter of Daksha) bore Anavadyá, Manu, Vanśá, Márgaṇapriyá, Anúpá, Subhagá. and Bhásí.’ ” _Muir’s Sanskrit Text_, Vol. I. p. 116.

444 The elephant of Indra.

_ 445 Golángúlas_, described as a kind of monkey, of a black colour, and having a tail like a cow.

446 Eight elephants attached to the four quarters and intermediate points of the compass, to support and guard the earth.

447 Some scholars identify the centaurs with the Gandharvas.

448 The hooded serpents, says the commentator Tírtha, were the offspring of Surasá: all others of Kadrú.

449 The text reads Kaśyapa, “a descendant of Kaśyapa,” who according to Rám. II. l0, 6, ought to be Vivasvat. But as it is stated in the preceding part of this passage III. 14, 11 f. that Manu was one of Kaśyapa’s eight wives, we must here read Kaśyap. The Ganda recension reads (III, 20, 30) _Manur manushyáms cha tatha janayámása Rághana_, instead of the corresponding line in the Bombay edition. _Muir’s Sanskrit Text, Vol I, p. 117._

450 The original verses merely name the trees. I have been obliged to amplify slightly and to omit some quas versu dicere non est; _e.g._ the _tiniśa_ (Dalbergia ougeiniensis), _punnága_ (Rottleria tinctoria), _tilaka_ (not named), _syandana_ (Dalbergia ougeiniensis again), _vandana_ (unknown), _nípa_ (Nauclea Kadamba), _lakucha_ (Artœarpus lacucha), _dhava_ (Grislea tomentosa), Aśvakarna (another name for the Sál), _Śamí_ (Acacia Suma), _khadira_ (Mimosa catechu), _kinśuka_ (Butea frondosa), _pátala_ (Bignonia suaveolens).

451 Acacia Suma.

452 The south is supposed to be the residence of the departed.

453 The sun.

454 The night is divided into three watches of four hours each.

455 The chief chamberlain and attendant of Śiva or Rudra.

456 Umá or Párvati, the consort of Śiva.

457 A star, one of the favourites of the Moon.

458 The God of love.

459 A demon slain by Indra.

460 Chitraratha, King of the Gandharvas.

461 Titanic.

462 The Sáriká is the Maina, a bird like a starling.

463 Mahákapála, Sthúláksha, Pramátha, Triśiras.

464 Vishṇu, who bears a _chakra_ or discus.

465 Śiva.

466 See _Additional Notes_—DAKSHA’S SACRIFICE.

467 Himálaya.

468 One of the mysterious weapons given to Ráma.

469 A periphrasis for the body.

470 Triśirás.

471 The Three-headed.

472 The demon who causes eclipses.

473 “This Asura was a friend of Indra, and taking advantage of his friend’s confidence, he drank up Indra’s strength along with a draught of wine and Soma. Indra then told the Aśvins and Sarasvatí that Namuchi had drunk up his strength. The Aśvins in consequence gave Indra a thunderbolt in the form of a foam, with which he smote off the head of Namuchi.” GARRETT’S _Classical Dictionary of India_. See also Book I. p. 39.

474 Indra.

475 Popularly supposed to cause death.

476 Garuḍ, the King of Birds, carried off the Amrit or drink of Paradise from Indra’s custody.

477 A demon, son of Kaśyap and Diti, slain by Rudra or Śiva when he attempted to carry off the tree of Paradise.

478 Namuchi and Vritra were two demons slain by Indra. Vritra personifies drought, the enemy of Indra, who imprisons the rain in the cloud.

479 Another demon slain by Indra.

480 The capital of the giant king Rávaṇ.

481 Kuvera, the God of gold.

482 In the great deluge.

483 The giant Márícha, son of Táḍaká. Táḍaká was slain by Ráma. See p. 39.

484 Indra’s elephant.

485 Bhogavatí, in Pátála in the regions under the earth, is the capital of the serpent race whose king is Vásuki.

486 the grove of Indra.

487 Pulastya is considered as the ancestor of the Rakshases or giants, as he is the father of Viśravas, the father of Rávaṇ and his brethren.

488 Beings with the body of a man and the head of a horse.

489 Ájas, Maríchipas, Vaikhánasas, Máshas, and Bálakhilyas are classes of supernatural beings who lead the lives of hermits.

490 “The younger brother of the giant Rávaṇ; when he and his brother had practiced austerities for a long series of years, Brahmá appeared to offer them boons: Vibhishaṇa asked that he might never meditate any unrighteousness.… On the death of Rávaṇ Vibhishaṇa was installed as Rája of Lanká.” GARRETT’S _Classical Dictionary of India_.

491 Serpent-gods.

492 See p. 33.

493 The Sanskrit words for car and jewels begin with _ra_.

494 A race of beings of human shape but with the heads of horses, like centaurs reversed.

495 The favourite wife of the Moon.

496 The planet Saturn.

497 Another favourite of the Moon; one of the lunar mansions.