were always heard to pour forth their melodies. Other
winged denizens of the air, called Bharundas, and having faces resembling
those of human beings, and those called Bhulingas, and others belonging
to mountainous regions and to the sea, warbled sweetly there. Gautama
proceeded through that forest, listening, as he went, to those delightful
and charming strains of nature's choristers. On his way he beheld a very
delightful and level spot of land covered with golden sands and
resembling heaven itself, O king, for its beauty. On that plot stood a
large and beautiful banian with a spherical top. Possessed of many
branches that corresponded with the parent tree in beauty and size, that
banian looked like an umbrella set over the plain. The spot underneath
that magnificent tree was drenched with water perfumed with the most
fragrant sandal. Endued with great beauty and abounding in delicious
flowers all around, the spot looked like the court of the Grandsire
himself. Beholding that charming and unrivalled spot, abounding with
flowering trees, sacred, and looking like the abode of a very celestial,
Gautama became very much delighted. Arrived there, he sat himself down
with a well-pleased heart. As he sat there, O son of Kunti, a delicious,
charming, and auspicious breeze, bearing the perfume of many kinds of
flowers, began to blow softly, cooling the limbs of Gautama and filling
him with celestial pleasure, O monarch! Fanned by that perfumed breeze
the Brahmana became refreshed, and in consequence of the pleasure he felt
he soon fell asleep. Meanwhile the sun set behind the Asta hills. When
the resplendent luminary entered his chambers in the west and the evening
twilight came, a bird that was the foremost of his species, returned to
that spot, which was his home, from the regions of Brahman. His name was
Nadijangha and he was a dear friend of the creator. He was a prince of
Cranes, possessed of great wisdom, and a son of (the sage) Kasyapa. He
was also known extensively on earth by the name of Rajadharman. Indeed,
he surpassed everyone on earth in fame and wisdom. The child of a
celestial maiden, possessed of great beauty and learning, he resembled a
celestial in splendour. Adorned with the many ornaments that he wore and
that were as brilliant as the sun himself, that child of a celestial girl
seemed to blaze with beauty. Beholding that bird arrived at that spot,
Gautama became filled with wonder. Exhausted with hunger and th