upplied
Their longing souls relieved,
And soon, with rapture and with pride,
Each royal dame conceived.
He gazed upon each lady's face,
And triumphed as he gazed,
As Indra in his royal place
By Gods and spirits praised.

Canto XVI. The Vanars.

When Vishnu thus had gone on earth,
From the great king to take his birth,
The self-existent Lord of all
Addressed the Gods who heard his call:
"For Vishnu's sake, the strong and true,
Who seeks the good of all of you,
Make helps, in war to lend him aid,
In forms that change at will, arrayed,
Of wizard skill and hero might,
Outstrippers of the wind in flight,
Skilled in the arts of counsel, wise,
And Vishnu's peers in bold emprise;
With heavenly arts and prudence fraught,
By no devices to be caught;
Skilled in all weapon's lore and use
As they who drink the immortal juice.(111)
And let the nymphs supreme in grace,
And maidens of the minstrel race,
Monkeys and snakes, and those who rove
Free spirits of the hill and grove,
And wandering Daughters of the Air,
In monkey form brave children bear.
So erst the lord of bears I shaped,
Born from my mouth as wide I gaped."

Thus by the mighty Sire addressed
They all obeyed his high behest,
And thus begot in countless swarms
Brave sons disguised in sylvan forms.
Each God, each sage became a sire,
Each minstrel of the heavenly quire,(112)
Each faun,(113) of children strong and good
Whose feet should roam the hill and wood.
Snakes, bards,(114) and spirits,(115) serpents bold
Had sons too numerous to be told.
Bali, the woodland hosts who led,
High as Mahendra's(116) lofty head,
Was Indra's child. That noblest fire,
The Sun, was great Sugriva's sire,
Tara, the mighty monkey, he
Was offspring of Vrihaspati:(117)
Tara the matchless chieftain, boast
For wisdom of the Vanar host.
Of Gandhamadan brave and bold
The father was the Lord of Gold.
Nala the mighty, dear to fame,
Of skilful Visvakarma(118) came.
From Agni,(119) Nila bright as flame,
Who in his splendour, might, and worth,
Surpassed the sire who gave him birth.
The heavenly Asvins,(120) swift and fair,
Were fathers of a noble pair,
Who, Dwivida and Mainda named,
For beauty like their sires were famed,
Varun(121) was father of Sushen,
Of Sarabh, he who sends the rain,(122)
Hanuman, best of monkey kind,
Was son of him who breathes the wind:
Like thunderbolt in frame was he,
And swift as Garud's(123) self could flee.
These thousands did the G