of women in the form and attire of Kiratas.  And, O king, that region suddenly blazed up in beauty, in consequence of the arrival of the god of gods in such company.  And soon enough a solemn stillness pervaded the place.  The sounds of springs, and water-courses, and of birds suddenly ceased.  And as the god of gods approached Pritha’s son of blameless deeds, he beheld a wonderful sight, even that of a Danava named Muka, seeking, in the form of a boar, to slay Arjuna.  Phalguna, at the sight of the enemy seeking to slay him, took up the Gandiva and a number of arrows resembling snakes of virulent poison.  And stringing his bow and filling the air with its twang, he addressed the boar and said, ’I have come here but done thee no injury.  As thou seekest to slay me, I shall certainly send thee to the abode of Yama.’  And beholding that firm wielder of the bow—­Phalguna—­about to slay the boar, Sankara in the guise of a Kirata suddenly bade him stop saying, ’The boar like the mountain of Indrakila in hue hath been aimed at by me first’; Phalguna, however, disregarding these words, struck the boar.  The Kirata also blazing splendour, let fly an arrow like flaming fire and resembling the thunderbolt at the same object.  And the arrows thus shot by both fell at the same instant of time upon the wide body of Muka, hard as adamant.  And the two shafts fell upon the boar with a loud sound, even like that of Indra’s thunderbolt and the thunder of the clouds falling together upon the breast of a mountain.  And Muka, thus struck by two shafts which produced numerous arrows resembling snakes of blazing mouths, yielded up his life, assuming once more his terrible Rakshasa form.  Jishnu—­that slayer of foes—­then beheld before him that person, of form blazing as god, and attired in the dress of a Kirata and accompanied by many women.  And beholding him, the son of Kunti with a joyous heart addressed him smilingly and said, ’Who art thou that thus wanderest in these solitary woods, surrounded by women? thou of the splendour of gold, art thou not afraid of this terrible forest?  Why, again, didst thou shoot the boar that was first aimed at by me?  This Rakshasa that came hither, listlessly or with the object, of slaying me, had been first aimed at by me.  Thou shalt not, therefore, escape from me with life.  Thy behaviour towards me is not consistent with the customs of the chase.  Therefore, O mountaineer, I will take thy life.’  Thus addressed by the son of Pandu, the Kirata, smiling replied unto his capable of wielding the bow with his left hand, in soft words, saying, ’O hero, thou needst not be anxious on my account.  This forest land is proper abode for us who always dwell in the woods.  Respecting thyself, however, I may inquire, why thou hast selected thy abode here amid such difficulties.  We, O ascetic, have our habitation in these woods abounding in animals of all kinds.  Why dost thou, so delicate and brought up in luxury and possessed of the splendour of fire, dwell alone in such a solitary