noble piety is practising penances, so I am desirous to live the same
life with him. My heart is yearning after similar observances. My soul
will be in torment if I see him not."'"

SECTION CXIII

"'Vibhandaka said, "Those are, O son! Rakshasas. They walk about in that
wonderfully beautiful form. Their strength is unrivalled and their
beauty great. And they always meditate obstruction to the practice of
penances. And, O my boy, they assume lovely forms and try to allure by
diverse means. And those fierce beings hurled the saints, the dwellers
of the woods, from blessed regions (won by their pious deeds). And the
saint who hath control over his soul, and who is desirous of obtaining
the regions where go the righteous, ought to have nothing to do with
them. And their acts are vile and their delight is in causing
obstruction to those who practise penance; (therefore) a pious man
should never look at them. And, O son! those were drinks unworthy to be
drunk, being as they were spirituous liquors consumed by unrighteous
men. And these garlands, also, bright and fragrant and of various hues,
are not intended for saints." Having thus forbidden his son by saying
that those were wicked demons, Vibhandaka went in quest of her. And when
by three day's search he was unable to trace where she was he then came
back to his own hermitage. In the meanwhile, when the son of Kasyapa had
gone out to gather fruits, then that very courtesan came again to tempt
Rishyasringa in the manner described above. And as soon as Rishyasringa
had her in sight, he was glad and hurriedly rushing towards him said,
"Let us go to thy hermitage before the return of my father." Then, O
king! those same courtesans by contrivances made the only son of Kasyapa
enter their bark, and unmoored the vessel. And by various means they
went on delighting him and at length came to the side of Anga's king.
And leaving then that floating vessel of an exceedingly white tint upon
the water, and having placed it within sight of the hermitage, he
similarly prepared a beautiful forest known by the name of the _Floating
Hermitage_. The king, however, kept that only son of Vibhandaka within
that part of the palace destined for the females when of a sudden he
beheld that rain was poured by the heavens and that the world began to
be flooded with water. And Lomapada, the desire of his heart fulfilled,
bestowed his daughter Santa on Rishyasringa in marriage. And with a view
to appea