63 - About the Svaroch'isha Manvantara. 

The Apsaras Varuthini had by the Gandharva Kali a son who was named Sva-roch'is—He delivered a maiden Mano-rama and her father the Vidya-dhara Indivara from a curse—and married her.

Markandeya spoke:

1 Then with her he sported on mountain tops, which charmed the heart with their blossoming forests, and midst

2 charming lakes, and in pleasant glens, and on sand-banks in- the rivers, and in other delightsome places, with merry

3 heart, O brahman. With eyes closed fast during their embraces, she thought by reason of his ardour that his form was that of the young brahman surmounted with fire. Then after a time she conceived a child, O best of munis; it took its form from the Gandhar'va's energy and her dwelling in thought on 

5 the brahman. Then he having soothed Varuthini in her pregnant condition departed, still assuming the brahman's shape; she gave him a loving, dismissal. 

6 The child was born a boy, vrith a splendour like the blazing orb of light, illuminating all the regions of the sky vyith his 7 own lustre like the sun. Because he shines with his own lustre,* like the sun, the boy became therefore famed by the

8 appropriate name Sva-rocis. And the noble boy grew day by day in age and with a multitude of good qaalities, just

9 as the new moon increases with its daily increments; he acquired skill in archery, and learnt the Vedas in due order and the sciences; then the noble boy entered on the period of early manhood. 

* Sva-roch'ibhir.

10 Once upon a time, while he who was fascinating in his ways was roaming on Mount Mandara, he saw a lonely

 11 maiden helpless with fear on the mountain's slope. Seeing him, at once she uttered the words “Save me!” “Fear not!” he exclaimed to her whose eyes were flooded with fear;

 12 “Why is this?” said the high-souled youth in heroic speech. 

Thereupon she gave him this account, in words broken by her palpitating breath. 

The maiden spoke:

13 I am indeed the daughter of the Vidya-dhara Indivara, Mano-rama by name; I was born of Maru-dhanvan's daughter.

14 Vibha-vari daughter of the Vidya-dhara Mandara was my friend, and Kala-vati, the muni Para's daughter, was my other

15 friend. With them I went to Kailasa's lofty † slope. There I saw a certain muni; exceedingly thin was his face through

† For attamam read uttamam.

16 his austerities, wasted was his neck through hunger, vigourless was he, deep sunk were the pupils of his eyes. I laughed

17 at him, and then he grew enraged and cursed me, in a very infirm voice and with his shoot-like lower lip somewhat Quivering††—” Since thou hast laughed at me, O ignoble and

†† For kinch'it-kalpitadhara-pallavah read kinch'it-kampitadhara-pallavah?

18 bad ascetic maiden, a Rakshasa shall therefore overcome thee in no long time indeed.” But when the curse was pro nounced,

19 my two friends upbraided the muni— “Fie! through thy Want of forbearance, done is thy brahman-hood, done all thine austerities! Thou art violated through thy wrathfulness, thou art not greatly worn out * through austerities.

* Ati-karshitah; or,” thou art not greatly attracted by austerities.”

 20 The dwelling-place of forbearance is verily brahman-hood; the controlling of wrath is the performance of austerities.” Hearing this the sage of measureless glory 

21 cursed both of them also,— “Leprosy in the limbs shall light on one”of you, and consumption on the other.” Exactly as he said, it befell them both immediately. 

22 So on my track also a mightly Rakshasa is approaching. Dost thou not hear his loud roar, as he thunders forth, even

 23 close at hand? To-day is the third day that he quits not my back. Now out of all the multitude of weapons I give thee

24 the weapon which strikes to the heart; save me from this Rakshasa, O high-minded youth! Rudra, who wields the bow Pinaka, himself gave it to Svayambhuva originally;

 25 Svayambhuva gave it to Vasishtha the chief of the Siddhas; he Moreover, gave it to C'itrayudha, my mother's father;

 26 he again, as father-in-law, himself gave it to my father as a wedding gift. I, though a maiden, learnt, O hero! from my

27 father how to use this Heart of all weapons, which destroys every foe. This is it, take it quickly, the essence of all

28 weapons, then slay this vile-souled Rakshasa who has come into conflict with sacred spell.†

†Brahma-samagatam.

Markandeya spoke:

29 “Yea!” then quoth he, and she sprinkling water on it gave him the Heart of weapons together with the spell for stopping its secret virtue. 

30 In this interval appeared that Rakshasa. Then with apalling aspect, and roaring with a loud roar, he came hastily on. 

31 He looked at that demon who was exclaiming— “Overpowered by me, to what dost thou resort for deliverance? Come speedily to me! What good is it to delay thy being deyoured?” 32 Seeing him at hand, Sva-rocis thought,” Let him seize her, so willihe great muni's word become tme with regard to her.”

33 The Rakshaaa approaching with haste seized the maiden of beauteous waist, as she was piteously bewailing,” Save me, 

34 Save me!” Then Sva-rochis enraged looked at the active and most teriible weapon, and plunging it into that Rakshasa

35 looked on it with unwinking eyes. Vanquished thereby* the night-stalking demon then quitted her and said—” Be gracious!

* For tadabhibhutah read tadabhibhutah? 

 36 let the weapon be kept in peace, and hearken! I have been delivered by thee, most glorious hero! from a very grievous curse, which was inflicted by wise and exceedingly fierce 

37 Brahma-mitra. It is a benefit (none other greater can I receive from thee, O illustrious hero!), whereby I have been delivered from a great and most sore curse.” 

Sva-rochis spoke:

38 Why wert thou cursed formerly by the high-souled muni Brahma-mitra, and what kind of curse was imprecated on thee?

The Rakshasa spoke:

39 The brahman Brahma-mitra had mastered the thirteen sections of the Atharva Veda, and had just studied the Ayurveda

40  which is divided into eight parts. And I was well known by the name Indivara; I was the father of this maiden. I was the son of the swordsman Nala-nabha king of the

41 Vidya-dharas. And at first I besought the muni Brahmamitra,” Deign, adorable Sir! † to communicate to me the

† For bhagavan read bhagavan? Or, for arhasi read arhati? 

42 whole of the Ayur-veda.” But though entreated often by me who remained bent with respect, he did not bestow on me the

 43 science of the Ayur-veda, O hero” then indeed I gained the science of the A'yur-veda, as he was communicating it to his disciples, by rendering myself invisible ††, O sinless man. §

†† For antardhdya-gena read antardhana-gena? 

§ For anadha read anagha.

44 Now when the science was gained after a space of eight months, I gave way to excessive and repeated fits of laughter

 46 out of my great delight. Recognizing me by the laughter, the muni, enraged and with quivering neck spoke thus to

 46 mo in harsh words—” Since thou in invisible form, like a Rakshasa, * hast snatched the science from me, evil-minded

* For rakshasenaiva read rakshaseneva? He was a Gandharva then.

47 one, and despising me hast indulged in laughter; therefore thou shalt be assuredly cast out as a terrible Rakshasa by

48 my curse, O wicked one, after seven nights.” On his uttering this, I propitiated him by prostrating myself before him and by other acts of deference; the brahman with his mind 

49 immediately softened, said to me again—” What I have uttered will assuredly come to pass, Gandharva; it can not happen otherwise; but after becoming a Rakshasa, thou 

50 shalt regain thy own form, when with memory dead and in anger thou shalt wish to devour thy own child. Thou shalt be turned into a night-stalking demon; when smarting with 

51 the fire of thy child's weapon, thou shalt again obtain thy own consciousness, and recover thy own body, and likewise thy

 52 own station in the Gandharva world.” Since such I am and since I have been delivered by thee, illustrious hero, from this most fearful demon-condition, therefore perform my quest.

 53 This maiden give I thee as wife, accept her; and take, O high-minded man, the whole of the Ayur-veda with its eight parts, which I acquired from beside that muni. 

Markandeya spoke:

54 Having so spoken he, gleaming in heavenly raiment, bedecked with garlands and ornaments, and bearing his pris tine

 55 heavenly body, bestowed the science. After bestowing the science, he next proceeded to give his daughter. Then the maiden spoke to her father who had regained his own form,

56” Although love † has sprung up exceedingly with me, even at first sight, for this high-souled man, who is especially my

† For anarago read anurago?

57 benefactor, O father; yet this maiden is my friend and that one also, they are afllicted with pain for my sake; hence I do not desire 

58 to gratify myself in delights with this man. Such baseness cannot be displayed even by men; how shall a woman like me

69 behave so with things pleasing to her disposition. Since such I am and since those two maidens are afflicted with pain for my sake, O father, I will likewise remain in their pain, burnt with the fire of their grief.” 

Sva-rochis spoke:

60 By the favour of the Ayur-veda I will make thy two friends fresh again, removing thy great grief, O maiden with beautiful waist. 

Markandeya spoke:

61 Then Sva-rochis married that beauteous-eyed maiden, whom her father himself gave, according to the rites on that mountain

 62 And having comforted * the proud maiden then given away, the Gandharva departed then to his own city by a heavenly course. 

* For ahhi-santya read abhi-shatvya? 

63 And then Sva-roch'is also, accompanied by the slender maiden, went to that garden, where the pair of maidens dwelt speeoh

 64 less and diseased † through that curse. Then unconquered Sva-rochis, knowing their condition accurately, brought them both back to a healthy body by means of medicines and potions

† Agadaturam; a compound adjective from a-gada and atura,

65 which cure disease. Then the two maidens, most resplendent, freed from disease, beautiful, rendered that mountain more luminous †† than the regions of the sky by their own beauty. 

††Uj-jyoti; not in the dictionary.