to the southern region.  Until my return, do thou wait for me.  And when I have returned, O king of mountains, thou mayst increase in bulk as much as thou pleasest.’  And, O slayer of foes! having made this compact with Vindhya up to the present day Varuna’s son doth not return from the southern region.  Thus have I, asked by thee, narrated to thee why Vindhya doth not increase in bulk, by reason of the power of Agastya.  Now, O king! hear how the Kalakeyas were killed by the gods, after they had obtained their prayer from Agastya.

“Having heard the words of the gods, Agastya, the son of Mitra, and Varuna, said, ‘Wherefore are ye come?  What boon do ye solicit from me?’ Thus addressed by him, the deities then spake to the saint, saying, ’This deed we ask thee to achieve, viz., to drink up the great ocean.  O magnanimous (saint)!  Then we shall be able to slay those enemies of the gods, known by the name of Kalakeyas, together with all their adherents.’  Having heard the words of the gods, the saint said, ’Let it be so—­I shall do even what ye desire, and that which will conduce to the great happiness of men.’  Having said this, he then proceeded to the ocean—­the lord of rivers,—­accompanied by sages, ripe in the practice of penances, and also by the deities, O thou who leadest an excellent life!  And men and snakes, celestial choristers, Yakshas and Kinnaras followed the magnanimous saints,—­desirous of witnessing that wonderful event.  Then they came up all together near to the sea, of awful roar, dancing, as it were, with its billows, bounding with the breeze, and laughing with masses of froth, and stumbling at the caves, and thronged with diverse kinds of sharks, and frequented by flocks of various birds.  And the deities accompanied by Agastya and celestial choristers and huge snakes and highly-gifted saints, approached the immense watery waste.”

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“Lomasa said, ’That blessed saint, the son of Varuna, having reached the sea spake unto the assembled gods, and the saints gathered together, saying ’I surely am going to drink up the ocean—­that abode of the god of waters.  Be ye quickly ready with those preparations which it devolves upon you to make.’  Having spoken these few words, the unswerving offspring of Mitra and Varuna, full of wrath, began to drink up the sea, while all the worlds stood observing (the deed).  Then the gods, together with Indra, seeing how the sea was being drunk up, were struck with mighty amazement, and glorified him with laudatory words, saying, ’Thou art our protector, and the Providence itself for men,—­and also the creator of the worlds.  By thy favour the universe with its gods may possibly be saved from havoc.’  And the magnanimous one, glorified by the gods—­while the musical instruments of celestial choristers were playing all round, and while celestial blossoms were showered upon him—­rendered waterless the wide ocean.  And seeing the wide