Brahman, artfully seizing upon the moment when his mind was foolish
with the fumes of conquest, informed him there was but one obstacle
to his acquisition of eternal power. 'What is that?' said King Anang
Pal.--'It is,' said the Brahman, 'the serpent Sechnaga, who lies under
the earth and stops it, and who at the same time has charge of Change
and Revolution.--'Well, and what then?' said King Anang Pal.--'If the
serpent were dead there would be no change,' said the Brahman.--'Well,
and what then?' said King Anang Pal.--'If you should cause to be
constructed a great nail of iron, I will show you a spot where it
shall be driven so as to pierce the head of the serpent.' It was done;
and the nail--being this column which you now contemplate--was duly
driven. Then the Brahman departed from the court. Soon the king's mind
began to work, to question, to doubt, to harass itself with a thousand
speculations, until his curiosity was inflamed to such a degree that
he ordered the nail to be drawn out. With great trouble and outlay
this was done: slowly the heavy mass rose, while the anxious king
regarded it. At last the lower end came to his view. Rama! it was
covered with blood. 'Down with it again!' cries the joyful king:
'perhaps the serpent is not yet dead, and is escaping even now.'
But, alas! it would not remain stable in any position, pack and shove
howsoever they might. Then the wise Brahman returned. 'O king,' said
he, in reply to the monarch's interrogatories, 'your curiosity has
cost you your kingdom: the serpent has escaped. Nothing in the world
can again give stability to the pillar or to your reign.' And it was
true. Change still lived, and King Anang Pal, being up, quickly went
down. It is from this pillar that yon same city gets its name. In the
tongue of these people _dilha_ is, being interpreted, 'tottering;' and
hence Dilhi or Delhi. It must be confessed, however, that this is not
the account which the iron pillar gives of itself, for the inscription
there declares it to have been erected as a monument of victory by