intelligent Brahmachārins carrying the recollection of their pristine birth (33). Because born as Brāhmanas they, by false words, imposed on their preceptor, they are now born as birds moving about in the world (34). And because though for their selfish ends they worshipped their ancestral manes they have obtained a knowledge of their previous birth (35). These ganders are respectively named Sumanā, Suchivāk, Sudha, Panchama, Chinnadarshana, Sunetra and Swatantra (36). Of them the fifth came by the name of Pānchika in his seventh birth, the sixth by that of Pandarika, and the seventh by that of Brahmadatta (37). On account of the hard austerities performed by them in seven births, of the Yoga practices carried on by them and of their good Karma they listened to the recitation of the Vedic hymns in their first birth in the house of their preceptor. In consequence thereof their inclination remained pure though they lived in the world, (38–39). All these Brahmachārins had the knowledge of Brahman; and having been engaged in meditation they lived there (40). While all those birds were living together there, the highly prosperous, all-powerful and the effulgent king Vibhrāja, the head of Neepas, born in the race of Puru, along with the females of his house, came to that forest (41–42). Beholding that prosperous king the bird Swatantra was possessed by envy and wished to become so (43). (He thought):—"If I have done any good deed and practised _Tapas_, forsooth I shall become such a king. I have been greatly emaciated by hard-austerities yielding no fruits nor happiness (44)." CHAPTER XXII. THE CURSE OF THE BIRDS.