1868.] The Poems of Chand Barclay. 123 



has fought for a whole watch and come off victorious." " Standing 

 on Seshanaga's head the ram was strong ; what are eight tigers ? he 

 could vanquish a thousand. (Part of the next couplet is obscure. I 

 give it therefore in the original.) 



High or low, on whomsoever rests the favour of the king of the 

 serpents, his power stands firm." Anangapala, having heard and 

 considered the words of Vyasa, sent and summoned 2000 workmen, 

 in his delight distributed rich presents, and, in an auspicious hour, 

 commenced building a palace, mindful of Vyasa's words. The king 

 demanded 100 sers of iron and had it hammered well, then the smiths 

 were speedily summoned, who made a shaft five hands long. The 

 king took the shaft, well hammered as it was and five hands long, and 

 drove it in ; three fingers breadth of the point passed into Seshanaga's 

 forehead. According to Vyasa's instructions, the king had had it well 

 worked with the hammers, and had ordered a sharp point wherewith 

 to pierce Seshanaga's head like a deer or a fish. Said Vyasa : "O 

 king, the spike is in Seshanaga's head, now rule at ease with unpre- 

 cedented sway." Said Vyasa ; " There will be a plot, O Tomar 

 Raja, be prudent, and give an order that the shaft be not removed." 

 " The advice is good ;" so saying he too went away home with Vyasa, 

 for the fair Hemavati had come to meet him. The great sage 

 Vyasa sings of the sacrificial preparations made by Janamenjaya : 

 how can fate be annulled, says the poet Chand. Ramchandra, lord of 

 the three worlds, was deceived by the golden deer : look again at 

 Bali and the dwarf : Fate is a word of power. Seshanaga called to his 

 younger brother Tachhak : " Exert yourself to get this spike out of 

 my head. Hear, brother Tachhak, and attend ; an iron spike has 

 been driven into my head, put in practice all the four stratagems of 

 war, and rid me of this spike, my brother." Tachhak was pleased 

 when he heard Seshanaga's wise and courteous speech : " the spike 

 must come out to-day, think well of it and exert yourself." 

 How Tachhak took leave of Seshanaga and disguised himself as a 



Brahman. 



" Assume the dress of a Brahman with soft and plausible words, 

 pretending that the events of yesterday are an absurdity, go before the 



