VICR.UIADITYA AND SALIVAMANA. 125 



©f the Gbdltceri, reigned Tri-VicramA'S'Ena, the 

 the son of Vicrama-s'ena. He was thus called, be- 

 cause lie possessed acrama, pracrama, and vicrama^ 

 three synonymous words, implying energy in a great 

 degree. A Brdhnen used to come very often, and 

 presented him every time with a flower, in which 

 was concealed a jewel of great value. The king re- 

 spectfully received the flower, and afterwards threw 

 it away into a corner, where they all remained neg- 

 lected and undisturbed. At last the king accidentally 

 discovered a jewel, and searching into every flower, 

 found in every one a gem also. When the priest 

 came again, he asked the reason of this strange cir- 

 cumstance, and what he meant by it. The Bra/njien 

 informed him, that, if he would come alone to a cer- 

 tain place, which he pointed out, he would then re- 

 veal the whole m.ystery. The king did not fail to go,, 

 on the appointed day: when the Brahmen informed 

 him, that before he could unfold this secret, it was 

 necessary that he should go into an adjacent grove, 

 where was a corpse hanging upon a tree : cut the- 

 rope, says he, and bring the dead body to me. The 

 king, though very unwilling, was obliged to comply, 

 and having cut the rope, he placed the dead body 

 upon his slioulders ; and, on the road, a spirit that was 

 in it, spoke, and related five and twenty stories to 

 amuse and deceive the king ; when, at the end of 

 each story, the corpse flew back to its tree, and every 

 timeTRi-ViCRAMA went and brought him back, and 

 being at last irritated, he took care he should no 

 more escape. Then the spirit informed him that the 

 Brahmen wanted to destroy him, and usurp his 

 throne. For this purpose, he was going to perform 

 some magical rites, in which a dead corpse was ab- 

 solutely necessary ; and that this was the reason svhy 

 he had insisted on the king bringing him a dead 

 body. Tri-Vicrama-s'ena being satisfied with the 

 truth of this information, put the Brdhm.en to death ; 

 aiad jMaha'de VA appeared to him, saying, thou wert 



