hall receive honour from all other deities. There, where I reside, the
seven other goddesses with Jaya for their eighth, who love me, who are
inseparably associated with me, and who depend upon me, desire to live.
They are Hope, Faith, Intelligence, Contentment, Victory, Advancement,
and Forgiveness. She who forms the eighth, viz., Jaya, occupies the
foremost place amongst them, O chastiser of Paka. All of them and myself,
having deserted the Asuras, have come to thy domains. We shall henceforth
reside among the deities who are devoted to righteousness and faith.'

"'"After the goddess had said so, the celestial Rishi Narada, and Vasava,
the slayer of Vritra, for gladdening her, offered her a joyful welcome.
The god of wind,--that friend of Agni, then began to blow gently through
heaven, bearing delicious odours, refreshing all creatures with whom he
came into contact, and contributing to the felicity of every one of the
senses. All the deities (hearing the news) assembled together in a pure
and desirable spot and waited there in expectation of beholding Maghavat
seated with Lakshmi beside him. Then the thousand-eyed chief of the gods,
accompanied by Sree and his friend the great Rishi, and riding upon a
splendid car drawn by green horses, came into that assembly of the
celestials, receiving honour from all. Then the great Rishi Narada, whose
prowess was known to all the celestials, observing a sign that the
wielder of the thunderbolt made and which Sree herself approved of,
welcomed the advent of the goddess there and proclaimed it as exceedingly
auspicious. Heaven's firmament became clear and bright and began to
shower nectar upon the region of the self-born Grandsire. The celestial
kettle-drums, though struck by none, began to beat, and all the points of
the horizon, becoming clear, seemed ablaze with splendour. Indra began to
pour rain upon crops that commenced to appear each at its proper season.
No one then deviated from the path of righteousness. The earth became
adorned with many mines filled with jewels and gems, and the chant of
Vedic recitations and other melodious sounds swelled up on the occasion
of that triumph of the celestials. Human beings, endued with firm minds,
and all adhering to the auspicious path that is trod by the righteous,
began to take pleasure in Vedic and other religious rites and acts. Men
and gods and Kinnaras and Yakshas and Rakshasas all became endued with
prosperity and cheerfulness. No