10 Kamavijaya.

to the forest to charm him. with her beauty and singing,
so that he may easily follow her." Dasharatha thanked
Indra and returned to Ayodya with Kayakayi. Indra ac-
cordingly sent a devangana to the forest. The young
Rishi was placed by his father, Vibhandak, on a mala9 in
order that he might not be devoured by lions and tigers.
The young boy, having seen the woman, was at first fri-
ghtened; but soon after, he was charmed with her beauty
and singing. As his father was absent, she brought him
to Ayodya. Dasharatha cordially received him; and short-
ly after, he gave away his foster-daughter in marriage to
him. Vibhandak knew by his yoga^ that his son was
taken to Ayodya in his absence, and got so much enraged
that he immediately went to that city to curse the woman
to death. Dasharatha treated him with respect; and on
finding that his son was married to the foster-daughter of
the king, he was pleased with him and blessed him, saying
that four mighty sons would be born to him. The Kishi
then made a havan.^ The god, Agni, came out of it and
entrusted to Vashista a ihali § full of payas IF and told
him. to divide it equally among the three wives of the king,
so that they might get sons, as soon as they partook of it.
Vashista made three ptndas $ of the payas and gave the
largest of them to Kausalya, the eldest wife of Dasharatha,
and the other two to Sumitra and Kayakayi. Kayakayi,
the third wife of the king, became jealous and said that
she was entitled to the largest pinda, because she support-
ed the chariot of the king by her own hands, which was
about to give way during the battle,with the demons.
While she was thus quarreling about it, a #Aar|. from
above snatched the pinda from her hands and flew in the

* An erected seat, f & union with Bramha through abstract
meditation. J A large hole made in the ground for reeeiviJIg
and preserving consecrated fire. § A cooking pot. ^ A dish
composed of rice, sugar, milk, &c, $ Lumps. || A kite. *