8 Ramavijaya.

last he broke the sad news to the old parents of Shravan,
when they cried violently and said, " Shravan, none can
get a son like thee in this world. We feel much for thee
and die with thee. Oh, we cannot bear this grief. You,
the murderer of our child, we curse you and say that you
will also die of grief for your son in the same way we do.'*
So saying they instantly expired. Dasharatha grieved much
for Shravan and his old parents whom he had killed by his
own hands, and performed their funeral ceremonies. The
king then returned to Ayodya and informed Yashista of
what had happened. At this time there was a great
famine in the country, as there was no rain for twelve years;
and consequently the subjects of the king died of thirst
and hunger one after another. The rain was stopped, be-
cause Yrashaparva, a powerful demon, fought wifch the gods
in heaven with the assistance of his guru, Shukra. Indra,
therefore, sent a chariot to Dasharatha and requested him
to come up to heaven and kill the demon, informing him
at the same time, that the rain was stopped on account of
the battle with the gods. Whereupon Dasharatha went
by the chariot to Indra with his favourit wife, Kayakayi.
Immediately on his arrival there Dasharatha fought with
the demons and killed a large number of them, when Yra-
shaparva made an attack upon the king but he was also
repulsed. His guru, Shukra, then took the field and dis-
charged arrows at the king, when the chariot of the king
was about to give way but his wife, Kayakayi, supported
it by one of her hands, of which the king knew nothing.
Dasharatha bravely continued the fight and cut off the
guru's horse and mugut* Shukra fled in alarm, with the
other demons. When every thing was over, the king* was
informed that the victory he had gained in the battle with
the demons, was due to his wife, Kayakayi. The king
was pleased with her, and asked her what reward she