cannibal, with eyes expanded in wonder, found herself unable to carry away
that child having a body as hard and strong as the thunder-bolt. That
infant then closing his fists red as copper and inserting them into its
mouth, began to roar terribly as rain-charged clouds. Alarmed at the
sound, the inmates of the palace, O tiger among men, suddenly came out
with the king, O slayer of all foes. The helpless and disappointed and sad
queens also, with breasts full of milk, also came out suddenly to recover
their child. The female cannibal beholding the queens in that condition
and the king too so desirous of an offspring, and the child was possessed
of such strength thought within herself--I live within dominions of the
king who is so desirous of an offspring. It behoveth not me, therefore, to
kill the infant child of such an illustrious and virtuous monarch. The
Rakshasa woman then, holding the child in her arms like the clouds
enveloping the sun, and assuming a human form, told the king these
words,--"O Vrihadratha, this is thy child. Given to thee by me, O, take
it. It hath been born of both thy wives by virtue of the command of the
great Brahmana. Cast away by the midwives, it hath been protected by me!"'

"Krishna continued,--'O thou foremost of the Bharata race, the handsome
daughters of the king of Kasi, having obtained the child, soon drenched it
with their lacteal streams. The king ascertaining everything, was filled
with joy, and addressing that female cannibal disguised as a human being
possessing the complexion of gold, asked,--O thou of the complexion of the
filament of the lotus, who art thou that givest me this child? O
auspicious one, thou seemest to me as a goddess roaming at thy pleasure!'


SECTION XVIII

"Krishna continued,--'Hearing these words of the king, the Rakshasa woman