he was intent upon a life of religious practices and austerities.  And his practice of austerities, O subduer of foes, was rigid and terrible and of an exceedingly severe character.  And beholding the austerities, courage, and truthfulness of this one possessed of immeasurable energy, Indra became anxious, fearing lest that being should take his place.  And Indra reflected, ’How may he be made to addict himself to sensual enjoyments; how may he be made to cease his practice of such rigid austerities?  For were the three-headed being to wax strong, he would absorb the whole universe.’  And it was thus that Indra pondered in his mind; and, O best of Bharata’s race, endued with intelligence, he ordered the celestial nymphs to tempt the son of Twashtri.  And he commanded them, saying, ’Be quick, and go without delay, and so tempt him that the three-headed being may plunge himself into sensual enjoyment to the utmost extent.  Furnished with captivating hips, array yourselves in voluptuous attires, and decking yourselves in charming necklaces, do ye display gestures and blandishments of love.  Endued with loveliness, do ye tempt him and alleviate my dread.  I feel restless in my heart, O lovely damsels.  Avert ye, ladies, this awful peril that hangs over me.  Good betide you.’

“Then the nymphs said, ’O Indra, O slayer of Vala, we shall so endeavour to allure him that thou wilt have nothing to fear at his hands.  That very receptacle of austerities, sitting now as if scorching everything with his eyes, O god, we are going together to tempt.  We shall try to bring him under our control, and to put an end to your fears.’

“Salya continued, ’Commanded by Indra, they then went to the three-headed being.  And arriving there, those lovely damsels tempted him with various gestures of love, displaying their fine figures.  But engaged in the practice of exceedingly severe austerities, although he looked at them, yet he was not influenced by desire.  Of subdued senses he was like the ocean, full to the brim, in gravity.  And the nymphs after having tried their best, came back to Indra.  And they all with joined hands spoke to the lord of the celestials, saying, ’O, that unapproachable being is incapable of being disturbed by us.  O highly gifted being, thou mayst do what now may seem proper to thee.’  The high-minded Indra honoured the nymphs and then dismissed them reflecting, O Yudhishthira, solely upon other means of destroying his foe.  And endued with intelligence, he fixed upon a contrivance for destroying the three-headed being.  And he said, ’Let me today hurt my thunderbolt at him.  By this means he will speedily be killed.  Even a strong person should not overlook a rising foe, contemptible though he may be.’  And thus reflecting upon the lessons inculcated in treatises of learning, he was firmly resolved upon slaying that being.  Then Indra, enraged, hurled at the three-headed being his thunderbolt which looked like fire and was terrible to behold, and which inspired