Bhusunda's Nativity and Habitation.

Argument.—Account of the birth of Bhusunda.

BHUSUNDA continued. Thus while the goddesses were in the acts of their merriment, their bonny vehicles or carrier birds also caught the infection, and indulged themselves in their giddy jigs and giggles, and in tippling the red blood of their victims for their liquor.

2. Then giddy with their drink the gabbling geese, that were fit vehicles for BrahmÁ's consorts, danced and frolicked in the air, in company with the crow Chanda the carrying bird of AlambushÁ.

3. Then as the geese darted down, and kept dancing and drinking and tittling on the banks of streams, they felt impassioned and inflamed by lust: because the borders of waters are excitants of concupiscence.

4. Thus the geese being each and all excited by their carnal desire, dallied with that crow in their state of giddiness, which is often the cause of unnatural appetites.

5. Thus that single crow—Chanda by name, became spoused to seven geese at once on that bank; and cohabited one by one with every one of them, according to their desire.

6. Thus the geese became pregnant after gratification of their lust, and the goddesses being satisfied by their merry dance, held their quiet and took to their rest.

7. Then these goddesses of great delusion (mahÁ mÁyÁ), advanced towards their consort Siva, and presented unto him his favorite UmÁ for his food.

8. The god bearing the crescent moon on his fore-head, and holding the trident spike in his hand; coming to know that they had offered his beloved one for his meat, became highly incensed on the MÁtres.

9. Then they brought out the parts of the body of UmÁ, which they had taken in as their food from their bodies; and presented her entire for her remarriage with the moon-headed deity.

10. At last the god Hara and his consorts being all reconciled to one another together with their dependants and vehicles, retired to their respective quarters with gladness of their minds.

11. The geese of BrahmÁ perceiving their pregnancy, repaired to the presence of their goddess, and represented to bear their case, as I have, O chief of sages! already related unto you.

12. The Devi on hearing their words, spake kindly unto them and said:—you my menials, cannot now be capable of bearing my car in the air as before; but must have the indulgence of moving about at your pleasure, until you have delivered of your burthens.

13. After the kind goddess had said these words to her geese, that were ailing under the load foetuses, she betook herself to her wonted meditation, and remained in her irreversible rest with the gladness of her mind.

14. The geese that were now big with the burden of their embryos, grazed in the lotus bed of Vishnu's navel, which had been the birth place of the great BrahmÁ before. (BrahmÁ the creative power, owed his birth to the lotiform navel of Vishnu, and the same place was all owed for the pasture of the geese and the nativity of the goslings).

15. The geese then being matured in their pregnancy, by feeding upon the lotus-like navel of Vishnu, brought forth their tender eggs in time, as the calmly creepers shoot out in sprouts in the spring.

16. They laid thrice seven eggs in their proper time, which afterwards split in twain, like so many mundane eggs in their upper and lower valves or canals.

17. It was these eggs, O great sage! that gave birth to thrice seven brethren of ours, all of whom are known under the appellation of the fraternity of chanda crows.

18. These being born in the lotus bed of Vishnu navel, were fostered and bred up in the same place, till they were fledged and enabled to fly and flutter in the air.

19. We then joined with our mother geese in the service of our MÁtri-goddess, who after our long services unto her, was roused from her intense meditation at last.

20. Now sir, it was in course of time, that the goddess inclined of her own complaisance, to receive us into her good grace, and favour us with the gift (of foresight), whereby we are quite liberated in this life. (It is over one's blindness of the future, that is the cause of the error and mischief of life).

21. Thought in ourselves of remaining in peace, and in the tranquillity of our minds; and being determined to betake ourselves to solitary contemplation, we went to our sire the old crow Chanda for his advice. (In the Vindhyan mountain).

22. We were received into the embrace of our father, and favoured with the presence of his goddess Alumbusha; they looked on us with kindness, and allowed us to remain near them with our self restricted conduct.

23. Chanda said:—O my darlings! Have ye obtained your release from weaving the web of your desires? You are then set free from the snare of this world, which binds fast all beings in it.

24. If not so, then I will pray unto this goddess of mine, who is always propitious to her devotees, to confer on you the blessing of consummate knowledge (which alone can save you from all worldly evils).

25. The crows replied—O sir! we have known whatever is knowable, by the good grace of the Goddess BrahmÁ, it is only a good solitary place, which we now seek for the sake of undisturbed meditation.

26. Chanda returned—I will point it out to you, in the high mountain of Meru in the polar region; which is the seat of all the celestials, and the great receptacle of all the treasures and gems on earth.

27. This mountain stands as the lofty pillar of gold, in the midst of the great dome of the universe; it is lightet by the luminous orbs of the sun and moon as its two lamps, and is the residence of all kinds of animals.

28. This lofty mountain stands as the lifted arm of this orb of the earth, with its gemming peaks and pinnacles resembling its fingers and their jewels, and having the moonbeam, as a golden canopy raised over its head, and the sounding main girding the islands for its bracelets.

29. The mount Meru is situated in the midst of the JambudwÍpa (Asia) as its sole monarch, and is beset by the boundary mountains as its chieftains on all sides. With its two eye balls of the rolling sun and moon, it glances over the surrounding hillocks, as the king seated in the centre, looks on the courtiers sitting all about him.

30. The clusters of stars in the sky, hangs as wreaths of mÁlati flowers around his neck, and the bright moon that leads the train of stars, forms the crowning jewels over his head, the firmament on the ten sides girds him as his vest, and the nÁgas of both kinds (i.e. the elephants and serpents) are warders at his gates.

31. The nymphs of heaven are employed in fanning him with the breeze from all quarters, and flapping over him their chouries of the passing clouds, with their hands decorated with the variegated hues of heaven as their ornaments.

32. His huge body stretched over many leagues, and his feet are rooted fast many fathoms underneath the earth; where they are worshipped by the nÁgas, Asuras and large serpents. (That dwell at the foot of the mount, while the races of gods are situated on its top).

33. It has thousands of ridges and steeps, craigs and cliffs, below its two eyes of sun and moon; and these are lauded as celestial regions by the Gods, gandharvas and kinnaras that inhabit in them.

34. There are fourteen kinds of superior beings, inhabiting the supernal sphere of this mountain; and these dwell there with their households and relatives, in their respective circles, without ever seeing the city or citadel of another. (This means the great extent and distance of the several separate ridges from one another. Its fourteen ridges or regions are known as the chaturdasa—vhuvanas, and fourteen peoples are included under the title of thirteen classes of celestials—troadasa-gana-devatÁs. These are the brahmarshis, Rajarshis, Devarshis, Devas, Pitris, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Apsaras, VidyÁdharas, Yakshas, Rakshas, Pramathas, Guhyakas and NÁgas (the last of whom are not recognized among celestial beings).)

35. There is a large ridge on the north east corner of this mount, with its gemming summit rising as high and bright as the shining sun.

36. There stands a large kalpa tree on the out side of that ridge, which is peopled with living beings of various kinds; and appears to present a picture of the whole world in miniature.

37. The southern stem of this tree has a protruding branch with its aureate leaves, and its blossoms blooming as clusters of brilliant gems; and presenting its fruit as lucid and luscious to view, as the bright and cooling orb of the moon.

38. I had formerly built my nest on that branch, and decorated it with all sorts of shining gems; and there it was, oh my offspring! that I sported and enjoyed myself, as long as my goddess sat in her meditative mood.

39. My nest was hid under the gemming flowers, and stored with luscious fruits, and its door was fastened with bolts of precious gems.

40. It was full of young crows, who knew how to behave properly with one another; Its inside was strewn over with flowers, and was cooling at all times and seasons.

41. Repair therefore, my children! to that nest, which is inaccessible even to the gods; because by remaining there, you will obtain both your livelihood and liberation without any molestation. (Livelihood with liberty, is the best blessing on earth).

42. Saying so, our father kissed and embraced everyone of us; and presented to us the meat food, which he had got from his goddess.

43. After taking our repast, we prostrated ourselves at the feet of our father and his goddess, and then flew in the air, from the Vindhyan range which is sacred to the divinity of Alumbusha.

44. We passed over the nether sky, entered into the region of the clouds; then coming out of their hollow caves, we flew aloft on the wings of the winds to the vacuous void of the etherial gods to whom we paid our homage.

45. Having then passed the solar world, we arrived at another sphere of the fixed stars above, where we saw the heaven of the immortals and thence reached the empyrean of BrahmÁ.

46. There we bowed down to the goddess BrÁhmÍ, and our mother (the goose) which was her vehicle; and related in length to them the behest of our father unto us.

47. They endeared and embraced us with kind affection, and then bade us to do as we were bid by our sire. At this we bowed down to them, and took our departure from the seat of BrahmÁ.

48. We then directed our flight to Meru where we found out this kalpa tree and our appointed nest in it. Here we line apart and remote from all, and hold our silence in all matters.

49. We passed the region of the regents of the skies, which shone to a great distance with the blaze of solar rays; we fled through the empty air with the velocity of winds.

50. I have thus related to you in length in answer to your query, regarding the manner of our birth and how we are settled in this place; I have told you also how we came to the knowledge of truth, whereby we have come to this state of undisturbed peace and tranquillity, now bid us, O great Sage! what more can we relate to satisfy your curiosity about us.