Chapter XXXVIII: Section XXXIX

When Vicwamitra had ended, hearing his words, Rama exceedingly pleased, spoke unto that ascetic resembling flaming fire, saying,--"I am anxious to hear in detail, good betide thee, how, O Brahmana, my ancestor arranged for the sacrifice." Hearing those words of his, Vicwamitra, smiling, eagerly spoke unto Kakutstha, saying,--"Do thou, O Rama, hearken unto the story of the high-souled Sagara's sacrifice. Sankara's father-in-law is the far-famed Himavat. And approaching each other, the Himavat and the Vindhya beheld each other. And on the region lying between them took place, O foremost of men, that sacrifice of Sagara's. And that country, O best of men, is excellent as a sacrificial ground. And, O Kakutstha, equipped with a powerful bow, that mighty car-warrior, living under Sagara's sway, Ancumat, O child, followed the horse, for the purpose of protecting it. And it came to pass that with the intention of disturbing the sacrifice of that monarch, on a certain day Vasava, assuming the form of a Rakshasi, stole away the sacrificial horse.[59] And, O Kakutstha, on the horse of that high-souled one being stolen, the priests said unto the king engaged in the ceremony,--'On this auspicious day, hath the sacrificial horse been stolen by violence. Do thou, O Kakutstha, slay him that steals the horse,--and bring it back. Otherwise the sacrifice will be defective, bringing us misfortune. Therefore, do thou, O king, act so, that the sacrifice may not be marred with defects.' Hearing the words of the priests, the king addressed his sixty thousand sons in the midst of his court, saying,--'Being, as this great sacrifice is, presided over by eminently pious Brahmanas sanctified by mantras, I do not, ye foremost of men, ye sons, see how Rakshasas may find entrance into it. Therefore, repair ye, and seek for the horse, ye sons. Good betide you! Do ye search the entire earth engarlanded with oceans; and do ye search _Yoyana_ after _Yoyana_, ye sons. And do ye delve the earth till ye light upon the horse, by my command following the track of that stealer of the horse. I have been initiated into this sacrifice with my grand-sons and priests.' And thereat the mighty princes, enjoined by their father, breathing high spirits, began to range the earth, O Rama. Then they each fell to delving the bowels of the earth for the space of a _Yoyana_ in length and breadth, with their hands resembling thunder-bolts in feel, and with darts like unto thunder-bolts, and with gigantic ploughshares. And being thus riven, the earth, O descendant of Raghu, began to send forth loud cries.

O Raghava, O thou hard to repress, there arose an uproar from serpents, and Asuras, and Rakshasas, and other creatures, that were being slaughtered. And, O descendant of Raghu, they excavated the earth, O Rama, for sixty thousand _Yoyanas_,--yea, as if they had intended to reach the lowest depths underground. Thus, O foremost of kings, those sons of the monarch dug all around Jamvudwipa, filled with mountains. Thereat, the gods together with the Gandharbas, and Asuras, and Pannagas, in trepidation appeared before the Grand-sire. And propitiating that high-souled one, they with melancholy countenances and in exceeding agitation, spoke these words unto the Grand-sire,--'O adorable one, the entire earth is being excavated by the sons of Sagara; and many are the high souled ones as well as the aquatic animals that are being slain in consequence.--This one is the disturber of our sacrifice, and by him hath the sacrificial horse been stolen,--saying this, Sagara's sons are committing havoc upon all creatures."

[59] The Bengali edition reads this sloka differently.--T.