e Kshatriya
or Warrior caste and an expiatory ceremony was necessary on account
of this violation of the law.

130 "The poet no doubt intended to indicate the vernal equinox as the
birthday of Rama. For the month _Chaitra_ is the first of the two
months assigned to the spring; it corresponds with the latter half
of March and the former half of April in our division of the year.
_Aditi_, the mother of the Gods, is lady of the seventh lunar
mansion which is called _Punarvasu_. The five planets and their
positions in the Zodiac are thus enumerated by both commentators:
the Sun in Aries, Mars in Capricorn, Saturn in Libra, Jupiter in
Cancer, Venus in Pisces.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} I leave to astronomers to examine whether
the parts of the description agree with one another, and, if this be
the case, thence to deduce the date. The Indians place the nativity
of Rama in the confines of the second age (treta) and the third
(dwapara): but it seems that this should be taken in an allegorical
sense.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} We may consider that the poet had an eye to the time in
which, immediately before his own age, the aspects of the heavenly
bodies were such as he has described." SCHLEGEL.

131 The regent of the planet Jupiter.

132 Indra = Jupiter Tonans.

133 "_Pushya_ is the name of a month; but here it means the eighth
mansion. The ninth is called _Aslesha_, or the snake. It is evident
from this that Bharat, though his birth is mentioned before that of
the twins, was the youngest of the four brothers and Rama's junior
by eleven months." SCHLEGEL.

134 A fish, the Zodiacal sign _Pisces_.

135 One of the constellations, containing stars in the wing of Pegasus.

136 Rama means the Delight (of the World); Bharat, the Supporter;
Lakshman, the Auspicious; Satrughna, the Slayer of Foes.

137 Schlegel, in the _Indische Bibliothek_, remarks that the proficiency
of the Indians in this art early attracted the attention of
Alexander's successors, and natives of India were so long
exclusively employed in this service that the name Indian was
applied to any elephant-driver, to whatever country he might belong.

138 The story of this famous saint is given at sufficient length in
Cantos LI-LV.

This saint has given his name to the district and city