SECTION XLI

’Bhishma said, One day the chief of the celestials assuming a form of celestial beauty, came to the retreat of the Rishi, thinking that the opportunity he had been expecting had at last come.  Verily, O king, having assumed a form unrivalled for comeliness and exceedingly tempting to women and highly agreeable to look at, Indra entered the ascetic’s asylum.  He saw the body of Vipula staying in a sitting posture, immovable as a stake, and with eyes destitute of vision, like a picture drawn on the canvas.  And he saw also that Ruchi was seated there, adorned with eyes whose ends were extremely beautiful, possessed of full and rotund hips, and having a deep and swelling bosom.  Her eyes were large and expansive like the petals of the lotus, and her face was as beautiful and sweet as the moon at full.  Seeing Indra come in that guise, the lady wished to rise up and offer him a welcome.  Her wonder having been excited at the unrivalled beauty of form which the person possessed, she very much wished to ask him as to who he was.  Although, however, she wished to rise up and offer him a welcome, yet her limbs having been restrained by Vipula who was dwelling within her, she failed, O king, to do what she wished.  In fact, she was unable to move from the place where she sat.  The chief of the celestials then addressed her in agreeable words uttered with a sweet voice.  Indeed, he said, ’O thou of sweet smiles, know that I am Indra, arrived here for thy sake!  Know, O sweet lady, that I am afflicted by the deity of desire provoked by thoughts of thee!  O thou of beautiful brows, I have come to thy presence.  Time wears off.’[274] These words that Indra spoke were heard by the ascetic Vipula.  Remaining within the body of his preceptor’s wife, he saw everything that occurred.  The lady of faultless beauty, though she heard what Indra said, was, however, unable to rise up for welcoming or honouring the chief of the celestials.  Her senses restrained by Vipula, she was unable to utter a word in reply.  That scion of Bhrigu’s race, of mighty energy, judging from the indications afforded by the body of his preceptor’s wife that she was not unwilling to receive Indra with kindness, restrained her limbs and senses all the more effectually, O king, by his Yoga-powers.  With Yoga-bonds he bound up all her senses.  Beholding her seated without any indication of agitation on her person, the lord of Sachi, abashed a little, once more addressed that lady who was stupefied by the Yoga-powers of her husband’s disciple, in these words, ‘Come, come, O sweet lady!’ Then the lady endeavoured to answer him.  Vipula, however restrained the words that she intended to utter.  The words, therefore, that actually escaped her lips (under the influence of Vipula) were.  ’What is the reason of thy coming hither?’ These words adorned with grammatical refinements, issued out of her mouth that was as beautiful as the moon.[275]