they heard that speech of Kasyapa's, all there approved it, and said

" So it is." Then the hermit gave Maya a boon in the hearing of great Indra " Because, my son, thou didst remain undaunted, even when Indra lifted up his weapon to strike, therefore thou shalt remain unharmed by the plagues of sickness and old age, which are strong as the thunderbolt. Moreover these two magnanimous sons of thine, who resemble thee, shall always be invincible by all their enemies. And this son of mine Suvasakumara, resembling in splendour the autumn moon, shall come when thou thinkest of him, and assist thee in the night of calamity. When the hermit had thus spoken, his wives and the risfiis and the Lokapalas in the same way gave boons to them, to Maya and the rest, in the assembly. Then Aditi said to Indra " Desist, Indra, from thy improper conduct, conciliate Maya, for thou hast seen to-day the fruit of discreet conduct, in that he has obtained boons from me." When Indra heard that, he seized Maya by the hand and propitiated him, and Srutasarman, eclipsed "by Suryaprabha, was like the moon in the day. Then the king of the gods immediately prostrated him- self before Kasyapa his spiritual guide, and returned as he came, accom- panied by all the Lokapalas ; and Maya and the others, by the order of that excellent hermii, departed from his hermitage to meet success in their proposed undertaking.

Then Maya and Sunitha and Suryaprabha, all of them, left that hermi- tage of Kasyapa, and reached the junction of the Chandrabhaga and Airavati, where the kings, the friends and connexions of Suryaprabha, were .awaiting him. And the kings who were there, when they saw Suryaprabha arrived, rose up weeping in despair, eager to die. Suryaprabha, thinking that their grief arose from not seeing Chandraprabha, told them the whole occurrence as it happened. Then, as they still remained despondent, he questioned them, and they reluctantly related how his wives had been carried off by S'rutasarman. And they also told him how they were preparing to commit suicide through grief at that outrage, when they were forbidden by a heavenly voice. Then Suryaprabha in wrath made this vow " Even if Brahma and all the other gods protect S'rutasarman, I will certainly overthrow him, a villain who carries off the wives of others, addicted to treacherous insolence." And having made this vow, he appointed a moment fixed by the astrologers on the seventh day, for marching to his overthrow. Then Maya, perceiving that he was determined, and had