came,
proceeded up along the course of the Bhagirathi. And reaching that spot
whence the goddess Ganga issues perennially, Indra beheld a woman
possessing the splendour of fire. The woman who had come there to take
water was washing herself in the stream, weeping all the while. The
tear-drops she shed, falling on the stream, were being transformed into
golden lotuses. The wielder of the thunderbolt, beholding that wonderful
sight, approached the woman and asked her, 'Who art thou, amiable lady?
Why dost thou weep? I desire to know the truth. O, tell me everything.'

"Vyasa continued, 'The woman thereupon answered, 'O Sakra, thou mayest
know who I am and why, unfortunate that I am, I weep, if only, O chief of
the celestials, thou comest with me as I lead the way. Thou shall then
see what it is I weep for." Hearing these words of the lady, Indra
followed her as she led the way. And soon he saw, not far off from where
he was, a handsome youth with a young lady seated on a throne placed on
one of the peaks of Himavat and playing at dice. Beholding that youth,
the thief of the celestials said, 'Know, intelligent youth, that this
universe is under my sway.' Seeing, however, that the person addressed
was so engrossed in dice that he took no notice of what he said, Indra
was possessed by anger and repeated, 'I am the lord of the universe. The
youth who was none else than the god Mahadeva (the god of the gods),
seeing Indra filled with wrath, only smiled, having cast a glance at him.
At that glance, however, the chief of the celestials was at once
paralysed and stood there like a stake. When the game at dice was over,
Isana addressing the weeping woman said, 'Bring Sakra hither, for I shall
soon so deal with him that pride may not again enter his heart.' As soon
as Sakra was touched by that woman, the chief of the celestials with
limbs paralysed by that touch, fell down on the earth. The illustrious
Isana of fierce energy then said unto him, 'Act not, O Sakra, ever again
in this way. Remove this huge stone, for thy strength and energy are
immeasurable, and enter the hole (it will disclose) where await some
others possessing the splendour of the sun and who are all like unto
thee.' Indra, then, on removing that stone, beheld a cave in the breast
of that king of mountains, within which were four others resembling
himself. Beholding their plight, Sakra became seized with grief and
exclaimed, 'Shall I be even like these?' Then the go