ganders.  And crooked and tortuous in the movement of her body, at places; and at others stumbling at it were; and covered with foam as with a robe:  she went forward like a woman drunk.  And elsewhere, by virtue of the roar of her waters, she uttered loud sounds.  Thus assuming very many different aspects, when she fell from the sky, and reached the surface of the earth, she said to Bhagiratha, ’O great king! show me the path that I shall have to take.  O lord of the earth! for thy sake have I descended to the earth.’  Having heard these words, king Bhagiratha directed his course towards the spot where lay those bodies of mighty Sagara’s sons, in order that, O most praiseworthy of men, the holy water might flood (the same).  Having achieved the task of sustaining Ganga, Siva, saluted by men, went to Kailasa the most praiseworthy of mountains, accompanied by the celestials.  And the protector of men (Bhagiratha) accompanied by Ganga reached the sea; and the sea, the abode of Varuna, was quickly filled.  And the king adopted Ganga as a daughter of himself, and at that spot offered libations of water to the names of his forefathers; thus was his heart’s wish fulfilled.  Thus asked by thee, I have narrated the whole story how Ganga running in three streams, was brought down to the earth for filling the sea; how the mighty saint had drunk up the sea for a particular reason, and how, O lord!  Vatapi, the slayer of Brahmanas, was destroyed by Agastya.’”

SECTION CX

Vaisampayana said, “O chief of the Bharata race! then the son of Kunti went at a slow pace to the two rivers Nanda and Aparananda, which had the virtue of destroying the dread of sin.  And the protector of men having reached the healthy hill Hemakuta, beheld there very many strange and inconceivable sights.  There the very utterance of words caused the gathering of clouds, and a thousand volleys of stones.  And people at its sight, were struck sad, and were unable to ascend the hill.  There the winds blew for aye, and the heavens always poured down rains; and likewise the sounds of the recitation of the sacred writ were heard, yet nobody was seen.  In the evening and in the morning would be seen the blessed fire that carries offerings to the gods and there flies would bite and interrupt the practice of austerities.  And there a sadness would overtake the soul, and people would become sick.  The son of Pandu, having observed very many strange circumstances of this character again addressed his questions to Lomasa with reference to these wonderful things.

“Lomasa said, ’O slayer of foes!  O king!  I am going to tell thee as we heard it before; do thou attend to the same with intent mind.  In this peak of Rishava, there was once a saint known by that name.  And his life had lasted for many hundred years.  And he was devoted to penances and was greatly wrathful.  And he, forsooth, for having been spoken to by others, from wrath addressed