by Vishnu, but being
immortal, the head and tail retained their separate existence and
being transferred to the stellar sphere became the authors of
eclipses; the first especially by endeavouring to swallow the sun
and moon.

266 In eclipse.

267 The seventh of the lunar asterisms.

268 Kausalya and Sumitra.

269 A king of the Lunar race, and father of Yayati.

270 Literally _the chamber of wrath,_ a "_growlery_," a small, dark,
unfurnished room to which it seems, the wives and ladies of the king
betook themselves when offended and sulky.

271 In these four lines I do not translate faithfully, and I do not
venture to follow Kaikeyi farther in her eulogy of the hump-back's
charms.

272 These verses are evidently an interpolation. They contain nothing
that has not been already related: the words only are altered. As
the whole poem could not be recited at once, the rhapsodists at the
beginning of a fresh recitation would naturally remind their hearers
of the events immediately preceding.

273 The _sloka_ or distich which I have been forced to expand into these
nine lines is evidently spurious, but is found in all the commented
MSS. which Schlegel consulted.

274 Manmatha, Mind-disturber, a name of Kama or Love.

275 This story is told in the Mahabharat. A free version of it may be
found in _Scenes from the Ramayan, etc._

276 Only the highest merit obtains a home in heaven for ever. Minor
degrees of merit procure only leases of heavenly mansions terminable
after periods proportioned to the fund which buys them. King Yayati
went to heaven and when his term expired was unceremoniously
ejected, and thrown down to earth.

277 See _Additional Notes_, THE SUPPLIANT DOVE.

278 Indra, called also Purandara, Town-destroyer.

279 Indra's charioteer.

280 The elephant of Indra.

281 A star in the spike of Virgo: hence the name of the mouth Chaitra or
Chait.

282 The Rain-God.

283 In a former life.

284 One of the lunar asterisms, represented as the favourite wife of the
Moon. See p. 4, note.

285 The Sea.

286 The Moon.

287 The comparison may to a European reader seem a homely one. But
Spenser likens an infuriate woman to a cow "That is berobbed of her
youngling dere." Shakspeare also makes King Henry VI compare himself