wrath asked him where his son Srídatta was, and he replied--'I do not know.' Then the king in a rage, supposing he had concealed his son, had him put to death by impalement as a thief. When his wife saw that, her heart broke. Men of cruel deeds must always pile one evil action upon another in long succession; and so Vikramasakti is searching for Srídatta to slay him, and you are his friends, therefore leave this place.' When the man had given us this warning, Báhusálin and his four companions being grieved went by common consent to their own home in Ujjayiní. And they left me here in concealment, my friend, for your sake. So come, let us go to that very place to meet our friends." Having heard this from Nishthuraka, and having bewailed his parents, Srídatta cast many a look at his sword, as if reposing in that his hope of vengeance; then the hero, biding his time, set out accompanied by Nishthuraka for that city of Ujjayiní in order to meet his friends. And as he was relating to his friend his adventures from the time of his plunging into the stream, Srídatta beheld a woman weeping in the road; when she said, "I am a woman going to Ujjayiní and I have lost my way," Srídatta out of pity made her journey along with him. He and Nishthuraka, together with that woman, whom he kept with him out of compassion, halted that day in a certain deserted town. There he suddenly woke up in the night and beheld that the woman had slain Nishthuraka, and was devouring his flesh with the utmost delight. Then he rose up drawing his sword Mrigánka, and that woman assumed her own terrible form, that of a Rákshasí, [130] and he seized that night-wanderer by her hair, to slay her. That moment she assumed a heavenly shape and said to him, "Slay me not, mighty hero, let me go, I am not a Rákshasí; the hermit Visvámitra imposed this condition on me by a curse. For once when he was performing austerities from a desire to attain the position of the god of wealth, I was sent by the god to impede him. Then finding that I was not able to seduce him with my alluring form, being abashed, I assumed in order to terrify him a formidable shape. When he saw this, that hermit laid on me a curse suitable to my offence, exclaiming--'Wicked one, become a Rákshasí and slay men.' And he appointed that my curse should end when you took hold of my hair; accordingly I assumed this detestable condition of a Rákshasí, and I have devoured all the inhabitants of this town: now to-day after a long time you have brought my curse to an end in the manner foretold; therefore receive now some boon." When he heard that speech of hers, Srídatta said respectfully, "Mother grant that my friend may be restored to life. What need have I of any other boon?" "So be it," said she, and after granting the boon disappeared. And Nishthuraka rose up again alive without a scratch on his body. Then Srídatta set out the next morning with him, delighted and astonished, and at last reached Ujjayiní.