he, " grows a flower a thousand times 

 more fair and sweet than your lotus. 

 It is pale as the moon, and bears a 

 perfume that excels that of any other 

 flower." 



Brahma laughed and would not 

 believe. " Show me this wondrous 

 flower," he cried, " and if it is as fair 

 and sweet as you boast, I will yield to 

 you my place in the triad and you 

 shall be chief god." 



" To-morrow," replied Vishnu, " we 

 shall set forth, for my paradise lies be- 

 yond land and sea, and when I travel 

 thither I must go as beseems a god." 



To this Brahma agreed, and it was 

 arranged that they v/ould meet the 

 following day and travel to Vishnu's 

 paradise. 



Together Vishnu and Brahma sought 



Shesha, the serpent of infinity, and 



on his back travelled beyond the 



realms of space to Vaikuntha, where 



125 



