repaired to your two lotus-like feet." When the Vidyadharas Mahayana

and Sumayaka said this, Suryaprabha, in concert with Maya and the rest, received them into conlidence and honoured them, and they rejoiced. When S'rutasarman heard that, he was in great consternation, but Indra comforted him by a message, sending to him Visvavasu, and commissioning him to say " Be of good cheer ! To-morrow I will aid thee with all the gods in the van of battle." This he said to him out of love, to comfort him. And Suryaprabha, having been encouraged by beholding the break- ing of his enemies' line, and having seen in the front of battle the slaughter of his rival's partisans, again forwent the society of his charmers, and entered his dwelling at night surrounded by his ministers.

Then Suryaprabha, lying on his couch at night, eager for battle, apart from his wives, said to his minister Vitabhiti " I cannot sleep, so tell me, my friend, some strange story of courage and endurance, to amuse me during the night." When Vitabhiti heard this request of Siiryaprabha's, he answered " I will obey your order," and he told this story.

There is a city Ujjayini, the ornament of this earth, full of numberless jewels of pellucid water. In that city there lived a king named Mahasena, beloved by the virtuous, an unequalled treasury of accomplish- ments, having the beauty both of the sun and moon. He had a wife named Asokavati, whom he loved as his life, there was not another woman in the three worlds equal to her in beauty. The king ruled his realm with her for consort, and he had besides a friend, a Brahman named Gunasarman, whom he respected and loved. And that Brahman was brave and very handsome, and, though young, had thoroughly mastered the lore of the Vedas, and knew the accomplishments, the Sastras, and the use of weapons, and was always in attendance on the king.

And one day, as he was within the palace, a conversation arose about dancing, and the king and queen said to Gunasarman, who was in atten- dance, " You know everything, there is no doubt about that ; so we have a curiosity to see you dancing ; if you know how to dance, kindly exhibit your skill." When Gunasarman heard this, he said with a smile on his }':ic(> ; " I know how to dance, but dancing is a thing not becoming in the king's court ; foolish dancing is generally ridiculous and is censured in the