heaven. " A boy has been born who shall be able to remember what he has
heard once ; he shall acquire knowledge from Varsha, and shall make the science of grammar famous in the world, and he shall be called Vararuchi by name, because whatever is excellent,* shall please him." Having utter- ed this, the voice ceased. Consequently, ever since this boy has grown big, I have been thinking, day and night, where that teacher Yarsha can be, and to-day I have been exceedingly gratified at hearing it from your mouth. Therefore take him with you : what harm can there be in it, he is your brother ?" When they heard this speech of my mother's, those two, Yyadi and Indradatta, overflowing with joy, thought that night but a moment in length. Then Vyadi quickly gave his own wealth to my mother to provide a feast, and desiring that I should be qualified to read the Yedas, invested me with the Brahmanical thread. Then Vyadi and Indradatta took me, who managed by my own fortitude to control the excessive grief I felt at parting, while my mother in taking leave of me could with difficulty sup- press her tears, and considering that the favour of Kartikeya towards them had now put forth blossom, set out rapidly from that city ; then in course of time we arrived at the house of the teacher Yarsha : he too considered that I was the favour of Kartikeya arrived in bodily form. The next day he placed us in front of him, and sitting down in a consecrated spot, he began to recite the syllable Om with heavenly voice. Immediately the Yedas with the six supplementary sciences rushed into his mind, and then he began to teach them to us ; then I retained what the teacher told us after hearing it once, Yyadi after hearing it twice, and Indradatta after hearing it three times : then the Brahmans of the city hearing of a sudden that divine sound, came at once from all quarters with wonder stirring in their breasts to see what this new thing might be ; and with their reverend mouths loud in his praises honoured Yarsha with low bows. Then behold- ing that wonderful miracle, not only Upavarsha, but all the citizens of Pataliputraf kept high festival. Moreover the king Nanda of exalted fortune, seeing the power of the boon of the son of Siva, was delighted, and immediately filled the house of Yarsha with wealth, shewing him every mark of respect. J
- Vara = excellent ruth = to please.
t /. e. Palibothra.
J Wilson remarks (Essays on Sanskrit Literature, Vol. T, p. IGo). " The contempo- rary existence of Nanda with Vararuchi ;md Vyadi i.s a rhvumstanrc of r<>nsidrnil>k> int>Ti-t in the literary history of the Hindus, as the two ;ote on philological topics. Yararurhi i.s al.-o calli-d in this v. v. ho is one of the earliest commentators on 1'anini. Nanda is tin- i>ivd<rrssor or one of the predoi of Chandragupta or Sandrakottos : and < -OHM '<|iirntiy thr rhi, ,,f Sanskrit grammar arc thus dated from the fourth century bi.i'on: tli Vo need