Varuna said:—This is that illusion, which the deities cannot bear, and that had been created in the days of yore by Urva’s son Aurva (74). With the death of that Daitya it has undoubtedly been shorn of its power. It had been imprecated with a curse in the days of yore by him who had created it (75) If we can strike against this illusion the king of gods will be happy. Give me, O Sakra, my friend Nishakara (the moon) who is born of water (76). Being united with him and Yados¹⁶⁴ and controlling my senses, I shall by your favour, undoubtedly destroy this illusion (77). ¹⁵⁴ One who eats grain without its having been threshed, anchorite. ¹⁵⁵ Breaking or bruising anything with a stone. ¹⁵⁶ Those who practise penances on the peak of a mountain. ¹⁵⁷ Those who practise penances in the midst of fire. ¹⁵⁸ Chastity in thought, words and deeds. ¹⁵⁹ The consummation of the Yoga practices and the attainment of the object thereof. ¹⁶⁰ It means here hypocrisy. ¹⁶¹ Regulations observed by Rishis living in the forest. ¹⁶² Wood for kindling a fire exciting it by attrition. ¹⁶³ Kusa or sacrificial grass. ¹⁶⁴ Aquatic animals. CHAPTER XLVI. THE BATTLE OF THE GODS. Vaishampayana said:—Saying so be it the king of gods, the multiplier of the deities, delightedly, first of all, sent for Soma in battle, who had the dews for his weapons (1). Sakra said;—O Sudhākara,¹⁶⁵ proceed for the destruction of the demons and for accomplishing the victory of the gods and help the holder of noose¹⁶⁶ (2). You are gifted with incomparable energy, the lord of all the luminous bodies, the lord of even the sun. The persons, who have a knowledge of the juices, consider you as identical with all the juices (3). Increase and decrease are manifest in the ocean and your orbit. Attaching time to the universe you are creating days and nights (4). The shadow of the earth, resembling a hair, exists in your body. The Somadevas even, who are born of the stars, do not know this (5). You exist above the road of the sun and other luminous bodies. Dispelling darkness with your own body and rays you light up the world (6). You are of white rays and cool body, the master of the luminous bodies, have a hare on your lap, the ivisible soul of the time, are worshipped in sacrifices, the juice of the sacrifices, eternal, the king of plants, the source of action, water-born, of cool rays, the mine of ambrosia, fickle and have white horses. You are the grace of the beautiful beings, the Soma of the Somadevas and the most beautiful in all the worlds. You dispell darkness and are the king of rays Do you accompany Varuna and his army and destroy the demonaic illusion by which we have been burnt down in battle (7-10).