448 Analysis of the Raghu Vans'a. [No. 6. 



But Sudakhina, his consort, of the royal line of Magadha, was 

 greatly beloved ; the king, however, mounted on the chariot of desire, 

 longed to have another self produced from her. In order to obtain a 

 son therefore, he laid the burden of his state affairs on the shoulders 

 of his ministers, and accompanied by his queen proceeded to the her- 

 mitage of Vashishta. Blessings were poured upon them from the 

 towns which they had ruled, the old herdsmen came with their pre- 

 sents of fresh butter, while the royal pair questioned them on the 

 names of the trees which lined the roads. They moved in spotless 

 beauty as the moon with Chitra, beaming in a pure and cloudless 

 heaven. 



* O'er them played the blissful breezes, breathing Shala's odours round, 



Fell the fragrant flower-dust o'er them, danced the rows of forest trees : 



Pleased they heard the peacocks' voices, shrill resounding on the way, 



Still, as rolled the sounding chariot, lifting up their heads to gaze : 



Steadfast on the chariot looking pairs of antelopes they saw, 



In whose large and glossy eyeballs mirrored they themselves appeared, 



In a line the cranes were flying, gently murmuring overhead 



Like an arch enwreath'd with garlands, baseless, hanging in the sky, 



Softly swept the breezes with them, ominous of good success. 



The king beguiled the journey in pointing out different objects to 

 his spouse, and in the evening arrived at the hermitage, where holy 

 Bishis were piling wood and fruit and kusa grass, which they brought 

 from the forest's depths ; the entrance was thronged with deer ruminat- 

 ing as familiarly as if they had been the Bishis' children : while the 

 Muni's daughters watered the trees speedily, lest their presence should 

 scare away the birds. 



" By the sacred offerings, odour, and the smoke the breeze conveyed, 

 From the holy fire there blazing, they were purified anon." 



The royal pair clasped the Muni's feet, and received a blessing. The 

 king then proceeded to state the sources of his grief, through want of 

 a son. 



* These lines are from a Metrical translation of the 1st book made by the Rev. 

 J. Mitchell, one of the few Missionaries in India who have any acquaintance with 

 Sanskrit, a language which is the keystone to the Hindu religion and usages, the 

 knowledge of which gives weight to Europeans among natives, and which is the 

 parent of the chief Indian Vernaculars and the fount for technical terms. 



