Said Lakƒma˜a, “Is there anyone, O good sage, who is not aware of your gentle disposition, so well known throughout the world? You have fully paid the debt you owed to your parents;† the only debt which now remains to be paid by you is the one you owe to your Guru, and that has been vexing your mind not a little. It looks as if you had incurred the debt on our account; and since a considerable time has now elapsed a heavy interest has accumulated thereon. Now you get the creditor here and I will at once rapay him from my own purse.” Hearing these sarcastic remarks ParaÜurŒma grasped his axe and the whole assembly cried “Alack ! Alack !!” “ O chief of Bh¾gus, you are still threatening me with your axe; but I am sparing you only because I hold you to be a BrŒhma˜a, O enemy of princes. You have never met champions staunch in fight; You have grown important in your own little home, O holy BrŒhma˜a.” Everyone exclaimed, “This is wholly undesirable!” The Lord of Raghus now becked Lakƒma˜a to stop. (1—4) (corresponding roughly to August), when the whole landscape is green, visualizes everything as green.” ViÜvŒmitra thereby suggests that ParaÜurŒma was blind so far as the greatness of Ýr¶ RŒma is concerned and imagined that the latter was as easy to handle as the other Kƒatriyas whom he could easily vanquish in battle. Again there is a pun on the word ‘KhŒ ¡˛a’ in the original, which means both a sword and sugar. PurŒ˜as how ParaÜurŒma killed his own mother at the bidding of his father Jamadagni, who had got incensed at her returning from a river rather late. Pleased with his obedience Jamadagni insisted on his asking for a boon. At this ParaÜurŒma prayed for the restoration of his mother’s life and his prayer was immediately granted. His mother was brought to life again and did not even remember the cruel act of her son. On another occasion, ParaÜurŒma’s father Jamadagni was slain by the followers of king SahasrabŒhu in order to avenge themselves of their leader’s death at ParaÜurŒma’s hands and the latter retaliated by extirpating not only the descendants of SahasrŒrjuna but the whole Kƒatriya race gradually. 266 * ÝR” RMACARITAMNASA*