"O son of Rughoo! Sugura, perceiving that his sons had been absent a
long time, thus addressed his grandson, illustrious by his own might:
Thou art a hero, possessed of science, in prowess equal to thy
predecessors. Search out the fate of thy paternal relatives, and the
person by whom the horse was stolen, that we may avenge ourselves on
these subterraneous beings, powerful and great. Take thy scymitar and
bow, O beloved one! and finding out thy deceased paternal relatives,
destroy my adversary. The proposed end being thus accomplished,
return. Bring me happily through this sacrifice.
"Thus particularly addrest by the great Sugura, Ungshooman, swift and
powerful, taking his bow and scymitar, departed. Urged by the king,
the chief of men traversed the subterraneous road dug by his great
ancestors. There the mighty one saw the elephant of the quarter,
adored by the gods, the Danuvas and Rukshuses, the Pishachas, the
birds and the serpents. Having circumambulated him, and asked
concerning his welfare, Ungshooman {220} enquired for his paternal
relatives, and the stealer of the sacred victim. The mighty elephant
of the quarter hearing, replied, O son of Usumunja! thou wilt
accomplish thine intention, and speedily return with the horse. Having
heard this, he, with due respect, enquired, in regular succession, of
all the elephants of the quarters. Honoured by all these guardians of
the eight sides of the earth, acquainted with speech, and eminent in
eloquence, he was told, Thou wilt return with the horse. Upon this
encouraging declaration, he swiftly went to the place where lay his
paternal relatives, the sons of Sugura, reduced to a heap of ashes.
(At this sight) the son of Usumunja, overwhelmed with sorrow on
account of their death, cried out with excess of grief. In this state
of grief, the chief of men beheld, grazing near, the sacrificial
horse. The illustrious one, desirous of performing the funeral
obsequies of these sons of the king, looked around for a receptacle of
water, but in vain. Extending his eager view, he saw, O Rama! the
sovereign of birds, the uncle of his paternal relatives, Soopurna, in
size resembling a mountain. Vinuteya, of mighty prowess, addressed him
thus: Grieve not, O chief of men! this slaughter is approved by the
universe. These great ones were reduced to ashes by Kupila of
unmeasurable might. It is not proper for thee, O wise one! to pour
common water upon {221} these ashes. Gunga, O chief of men! is the
eldest daughter of Himuvut. With her sacred stream, O valiant one!
perform the funeral ceremonies for thine ancestors. If the purifier of
the world flow on them, reduced to a heap of ashes, these ashes, being
wetted by Gunga, the illuminator of the world, the sixty thousand sons
of thy grandfather will be received into heaven. May success attend
thee! Bring Gunga to the earth from the residence of the gods. If thou
art able, O chief of men! possessor of the ample share, let the
descent of Gunga be accomplished by thee. Take the horse, and go
forth. It is thine, O hero! for to complete the great paternal
sacrifice.
"Having heard these words of Soopurna, Ungshooman, the heroic,
speedily seizing the horse, returned. Then, O son of Rughoo! being
come to the king, who was still performing the initiatory ceremonies,
he related to him the whole affair, and the advice of Soopurna.
"After hearing the terror-inspiring relation of Ungshooman, the king
finished the sacrifice, in exact conformity to the tenor and spirit of
the ordinance: Having finished his sacrifice, the sovereign of the
earth returned to his palace. The king, however, was unable to devise
any way for the descent of Gunga from heaven: after a long time,
unable to fix upon any method, he departed to heaven, having reigned
thirty thousand years.
{222}
"Sugura having, O Rama! paid the debt of nature, the people chose
Ungshooman, the pious, for their sovereign. Ungshooman, O son of
Rughoo! was a very great monarch. His son was called Dwileepa. Having
placed him on the throne, he, O Raguva! retiring to the pleasant top
of Mount Himuvut, performed the most severe austerities. This
excellent sovereign of men, illustrious as the immortals, was
exceedingly desirous of the descent of Gunga; but not obtaining his
wish, the renowned monarch, rich in sacred austerities, departed to
heaven, after having abode in the forest sacred to austerities,
thirty-two thousand years. Dwileepa, the highly energetic, being made
acquainted with the slaughter of his paternal great-uncles, was
overwhelmed with grief; but was still unable to fix upon a way of
deliverance. How shall I accomplish the descent of Gunga? How shall I
perform the funeral ablutions of these relatives? How shall I deliver
them? In such cogitations was his mind constantly engaged. While these
ideas filled the mind of the king, thoroughly acquainted with sacred
duties, there was born to him a most virtuous son, called
Bhugee-rutha. The illustrious king Dwileepa performed many sacrifices,
and governed the kingdom for thirty thousand years; but, O chief of
men! no way of obtaining the deliverance of his ancestors appearing,
he, by a disease, discharged the debt {223} of nature. Having
installed his own son Bhugee-rutha in the kingdom, the lord of men
departed to the paradise of Indra, through the merits of his own
virtuous deeds.
"The pious, the royal sage, Bhugee-rutha, O son of Rughoo! was
childless. Desirous of offspring, yet childless, the great monarch
entrusted the kingdom to the care of his counsellors; and, having his
heart set on obtaining the descent of Gunga, engaged in a long course
of sacred austerities upon the mountain Gokurna. With hands erected,
he, O son of Rughoo! surrounded in the hot season with five
fires,[14] according to the prescribed ordinance; in the cold
season lying in water; and in the rainy season exposed to the
descending clouds, feeding on fallen leaves, with his mind restrained,
and his sensual feelings subdued, this valiant and great king
continued a thousand years in the practice of the most severe
austerities. The magnanimous monarch of mighty arm having finished
this period, the divine Bruhma, the lord of creatures, the supreme
governor, was highly pleased; and with the gods, going near to the
great Bhugee-rutha, employed in sacred austerities, said to him, I am
propitious. O performer of sacred vows! ask a blessing. The mighty,
{224} the illustrious Bhugee-rutha, with hands respectfully joined,
replied to the sire of all, O divine one! if thou art pleased with me,
if the fruit of my austerities may be granted, let all the sons of
Sugura obtain water for their funeral rites. The ashes of the great
ones being wetted by the water of Gunga, let all my ancestors ascend
to the eternal heaven.[15] Let a child, O divine one! be granted to
us, that our family become not extinct. O God! let this great blessing
be granted to the family of Ikshwakoo. The venerable sire of all
replied to the king thus requesting in the sweetest and most pleasing
accents: Bhugee-rutha, thou mighty charioteer, be this great wish of
thine heart accomplished. Let prosperity attend thee, thou increaser
of the family of Ikshwakoo! Engage Hura, O king! to receive (in her
descent) Gunga, the eldest daughter of the mountain Himuvut. The
earth, O king! cannot sustain the descent of Gunga, nor beside
Shoolee[16] do I behold any one, O king! able to receive her. The
creator having thus replied to the king, and spoken to Gunga, returned
to heaven with Macroots and all the gods."
Thus far the thirty-fourth Section, describing the gift of the
blessing to Bhugee-rutha.
{225}