10. I was only the mind before, to which the body is added as a base appendage. It vanishes upon the knowledge of self; hence its care and neglect are both alike. (The soul forming our true essence, must be preserved pure in expense of the impure body). 11. Vasishtha resumed:—As she was uttering these words, in silence to herself, she heard a voice in the air, coming from the god of winds, who was pleased at the renunciation of her fiendish disposition. 12. “Arise Karkatí”, it said, “and go to the ignorant and enlighten them with the knowledge thou hast gained; for it is the nature of the good and great, to deliver the ignorant from their error. 13. “Whosoever will not receive this knowledge (of lawful food), when it is imparted to him by thee, make him verily the object of thy derision, and take him as being a right meat and proper food for thee.” 14. On hearing these words she responded, “I am much favoured by thee, kind god!”; and so saying, she got up and descended slowly from the height of the craggy mountain. 15. Having passed the heights, she came to the valley at the foot of the mountain; and thence proceeded to the habitation of the Kiráta people, who inhabit the skirts at the bottom of the hills. 16. She saw those places abounding in provisions of all sorts; such as human kind and their cattle with their fodder and grass. There were vegetable as well as animal food, with various kinds of roots and plants. There were eatables and drinkables also, with the flesh of deer and fowls, and even of reptiles and insects. 17. The nocturnal fiend then walked her way, under the shade of the deep darkness of night, towards the habitation at the foot of Himálaya, in her form of the sable mount of Anjanágiri (unperceived by the inhabitants). CHAPTER LXXVII. DELIBERATION OF KARKATÍ. Argument. Description of the dark night. The Rákshasi’s meeting a rája and his minister. Her trial of and argumentation with them. Vasishtha resumed:—It was a deep dark night, black as ink and as thick as tangible pitch; hiding the habitation of the Kirátas under its nigrescent umbrage. (Kirátas are the present Kirántis of the Himalayas, and the ancient Kerrhoides of Ptolemy). 2. The sky was moonless, and overcast by a veil of sable clouds; the woodlands were obscured by tamála trees, and thick masses of black clouds were flying about in the air. 3. The thick furze and bushes besetting the hilly villages, obstructed the passages by their impervious darkness, and the flitting light of fireflies gave the homesteads an appearance of the bridal night. 4. The thick darkness spreading over the compounds of houses, shut out the passage of the light of lamps, which made their way of or from the chinks of the dwelling in which they were burning.