an infinite number of arrows* had been cut to pieces, and the weapons began to be exhausted, † Krishna: resolved to put Báňa to death. The destroyer § of the demon-host, therefore, took up his discus, Sudarsana, blazing with the radiance of a hundred suns As he was in the act of casting it, the mystical goddess Kotaví, the magic lore of the demons, stood, naked, before him.1** Seeing her before him, Krishna, ++ with unclosed eyes, cast Sudarsana, to cut off the arms of Bána. The discus, dreaded, in its flight, by the whole of the weapons of the demons, lopped off, successively, 1 Kotavi (a) is said to be an eighth portion of Rudrání, and the tutelary goddess of the Daityas, composed of incantations (AA). §§ The Hari Vamsa calls her, also, Lambá, and intimates her being the mother of Bána, and as identical with Durga. The word, in the lexicons, designates a naked woman, and is, thence, applicable to Durgá, in some of her forms. The Sanskrit yields "all the arrows". + अस्त्रे च सीदति प्राचुर्येण | Ratnagarbha explains this as follows: प्राचुर्येणास्त्रे सीदति क्षीणे सति । Hari, in the original. § Read "enemy”,—ari. 11 । Here called, in the original, by his epithetical appellation, Madhudwish, or Madhuvidwish, according to various copies. ¶ Variant: Kodavi. And Ratnagarbha, in my best MSS., has Kotťavi. ** नग्मा देतेयविद्याभूत्कोटवी पुरतो हरेः । Ratnagarbha says: कोट्टवी दैत्यविद्या मन्त्रमयी दैत्यकुलदेवता । Also see note §§, below. + The Sanskrit has Hari. ++ * बाहुवनं, according to Sridhara. बाहुबलुं is Ratnagarbha's reading. ++ §§ This is from śridhara, who says: कोटवी नाम दैतेयानां विद्यामन्त्रमयी कुलदेवता रुद्राण्या अष्टमांशः । |||| Śl. 10722. the numerous arms of the Asura. Beholding Krishna with the discus again in his hand, and preparing to launch it once more, for the total demolition of Bána, the foe of Tripura* (Šiva,) respectfully addressed him.† The husband of Umá, seeing the blood streaming from * In the Eighth Chapter of the Revá-máhátmya, it is said, that Tripurikshetra, where Śiva flung down Tripura, the Asura, lies to the north of the Narmadá. The Twenty-ninth Chapter of the same work somewhat discordantly relates as follows. The demon Báńa, in reward of his austerities as a votary of Siva, received from him the gift of a city. Brahmá and Vishnu adding, each, another, he obtained the epithet of Tripura, or Toirolts. When slain by Siva, as he was traversing the heavens, a part of his carcase fell near the well-known mountain Śriśaila, in Siddhakshetra; another fragment, not far from Amarakańťaka; and the remainder, in the vicinity of Gangasagara. The weapon, Aghorȧstra, with which he was demolished, reached the earth at a point of the Narmadá hard by Jaleswaratirtha, and sank to Rasátala, the nethermost of the infernal stages. Where this tale is briefly rehearsed in the Ganesa Upapuráňa,— Prior Section, Chapter LXXI.,- Báńa carries off Pradyumna, whose father, Krishna, attacks the giant, and, after propitiating Ganesa, overcomes the monster, and takes possession of his city, Sońitapura. Some ten chapters of the first half of the Ganesa Upapurána, beginning with the thirty-eight. are taken up with Tripura or Báńa. Tripuri, the capital of the Chedis,—a place connected with the preceding legends, I discovered, while exploring the banks of the Narmadá, in the insignificant village of Tewar. See the Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. VI., p. 516. The Translator has strangely misunderstood the import of the following stanzas: क्रमेण तत्तु बाहूनां बाणस्याच्युतनोदितम् । छेदं चक्रेऽसुरापास्तशस्त्रौघक्षपणादृतम् ॥ Ratnagarbha reads - चोदितं, for -नोदितं; - क्षेपण', for -क्षपण०; and बाहुबले तस्य, for बाहुसहस्रे तु. One other variant which I find is alqa ae; and my Ajmere MS. interpolates, after the first verse of the extract: चिच्छेद चक्रं बाहूनां सहस्रमतिवेगवत् । + Umápati. the dissevered arms of Bána, approached Govinda, to solicit a suspension of hostilities,* and said to him: "Krishna, Krishna, lord of the world, I know thee, first of spirits, the supreme lord, infinite felicity, without beginning or end, and beyond all things. This sport of universal being, in which thou takest the persons of god, animals, and men, is a subordinate attribute of thy energy. § Be propitious, therefore, O lord, (unto me). I have given Báňa assurance of safety. Do not thou falsify that which I have spoken. He has grown old in devotion|| to me. Let him not incur thy displeasure. The Daitya has received a boon from me; and, therefore, I deprecate thy wrath." When he had concluded, Govinda, dismissing his resentment against the Asura, looked graciously on the lord of Umá,¶ the wielder of the trident, ** and said to him: "Since you, Sankara, have given a boon unto Báña, let him live. From respect to your promises, my discus is arrested.†† The assurance of safety granted by you is granted (also,) by me. You are fit to apprehend that you are not distinct from me. That which I am thou art; and ++ ++ ‡ “Beyond all things" is to render para. $ देवतिर्यङ्मनुष्येषु शरीरग्रहणात्मिका । Samsraya. ++ त्वद्वाक्यगौरवादेतन्मया चक्रं निवर्तितम् । * मत्तोऽविभिन्नमात्मानं द्रष्टुमर्हसि शंकर | "You must perceive," &c. that, also, is this world, with its gods, demons,* and mankind. Men contemplate distinctions, because they are stupified by ignorance," So saying, Krishna went to the place where the son of Pradyumnat was confined. The snakes that bound him were destroyed, being blasted by the breath of Garuda; and Krishna, placing him, along with his wife, upon the celestial bird, § returned, with Pradyumna and Ráma, to Dwáraká. 1 'There can be little doubt that this legend describes a serious struggle between the Śaivas and Vaishnavas, in which the latter, according to their own report, were victorious; and the Saivas, although they attempt to make out a sort of compromise between Rudra and Krishna, are obliged to admit his having the worst of the conflict, and his inability to protect his votary. The Bhágavata tells the story much as the text. The Hari Vaṁśa amplifies, even more than usual; the narrative occupying nearly seventy pages of the French translation. The legend is to be found, to the same purport, but in various degrees of detail, in the Agni Puráňa, Kúrma Puráňa, Padma Puráňa (Uttara Khanda), Vámana Puráňa, and Brahma Vaivarta Purána, (Krishna Janma Khanda). * Asura. In the original, Pradyumni. Aniruddha is intended. The Sanskrit has Aniruddha. § To represent Garutmat. || आजग्मुद्वारकां रामकार्ष्णिदामोदराः पुरीम | "Rama, Kárshúi, and Damodara went to the city of Dwaraka." CHAPTER XXXIV. Pauńdraka, a Vásudeva, assumes the insignia and style of Krishna, Krishna marches against and king sends a magical being supported by the king of Kási. destroys them. The son of the against Krishna: destroyed by his discus, which also sets Benares on fire, and consumes it and its inhabitants. MAITREYA. Of a truth, the divine Sauri, having assumed a mortal body, performed great achievements in his easy victories over Śakra, and Śiva,* and all their attendant divinities.† I am now desirous to hear from you, illustrious (sage), what other mighty exploit the humiliator of the prowess of the celestials performed. PARÁSARA.-Hear, excellent Brahman, with reverent attention, an account of the burning of Váráńasí § by Krishna, in the course of his relieving the burthens of the earth. There was a Vásudeva who was called Pauńdraka, 1 ' From being, the commentator ¶ says, king of Puńdra.** The Sarva, in the original. + चक्रे कर्म महच्छौरिर्बिभ्राणो मानुषीं तनुम् । जिगाय शक्रं शवं च सर्वदेवांश्च लीलया ॥ Viprarshi; the same as Brahmarshi, for which term see Vol. III., p. 68, text and note 1. § Corrected, here and everywhere below, from "Varáńasi" or "Varanasi." || भारावतारे | Variant: नरावतारे । The two commentators have identically the same explanation of the name in question::, "born in the country of the Pauńdras.” They do not call Pauńdraka a king. ** See Vol. II., p. 170, note 5, |