Chapter XLI

Seeing the delay on the part of his sons, King Sagara, O son of Raghu, addressed his grandson, flaming in his native energy, saying,

You are heroic and accomplished and like to your uncles. Do you enquire into the circumstances that have befallen your uncles, as also about the way by which the horse has escaped.

And as there are strong and mighty creatures inhabiting the Earth’s interior, with the view of resisting them, do you take your how along with your scimitar.

And honouring those that deserve to be honoured and slaying such as disturb you, do you, having attained your end, come back, becoming the instrument for the completion of my sacrifice.’

Thus duly enjoined by the high-souled Sagara, Aṃśumān endowed with fleet vigour, taking his bow as well as his scimitar, set out.

An commanded by the monarch, he found the underground way that had been carved out by those high-souled ones.

He found an exceedingly powerful elephant belonging to the cardinal point, worshipped by deities, and Dānavas, and Rākṣasas, anc goblins, and birds, and Uragas.

Having gone round him, and asked him as to his welfare, he enquired after his uncles and the stealer of the horse.

Hearing this, the mighty-minded elephant of that quarter answered, ‘O son of Asamañja having attained your object, you will speedily return with the horse.’

And hearing those words of his, Aṃśumat by turns duly asked the same question of all the elephants belonging to the cardinal points.

And being honoured by those guardians of the cardinal points, knowing words as well as their application in regard to time, place, and person he was asked by them saying, ‘Did you come with the horse?’

Hearing those words of theirs, that one of fleet vigour repaired to the spot where the sons of Sagara, his uncles, had been reduced to a heap of ashes.

And (arriving there), Asamañja’s son, smitten with grief, and being exceedingly afflicted at their destruction, bewailed in heaviness of heart.

And exercised by grief and sorrow, at foremost of men espied there the sacrificial horse straying near.

And desirous of offering oblations of water to those princes, that highly powerful one, in need of water, did not find any watery expanse in the neighbourhood.

And it came to pass, O Rāma, that surveying wide, he descried the maternal uncle to the princes, Suparṇa, resembling the Wind.

And thereupon Vinatā’s son possessed of mighty strength spoke to him, saying, ‘Do not ament, O foremost of men. The destruction of hese was for the welfare of all.’

These highly powerful ones had been consumed by the peerless Kapila, therefore, you ought not to offer water to them in consonance with social usage.

Gaṅgā, O foremost of men, is the elder laughter of Himavat. In her (streams) do you perform the watery rites of your uncles,

O mighty-armed one: let that purifier of the worlds lave these reduced to a heap of ashes. And on these ashes being watered by Gaṅgā, dear to all, the sixty thousand sons of Sagara will repair to the celestial regions.

Do you, O highly pious one, go back, taking this horse, O foremost of men; and do you complete the sacrifice of your grand-father,

O hero. Hearing Suparṇa’s speech, the exceedingly powerful Aṃśumat of mighty asceticism speedily taking the horse, retraced his steps.

Then coming to the king who had been initiated into the ceremony, he, O descendant of Raghu, faithfully communicated to him the words of Suparṇa.

Hearing this sorrowful intelligence, the king duly finished the sacrifice agreeably to the scriptures.

And having seen the completion of the sacrifice, that lord of earth entered his capital; but the king could not see how to bring Gaṅgā on earth.

And without being able to ascertain it, the mighty monarch after a long course of time, and having reigned for thirty thousand years, ascended heaven.