the monarch proceeded to the
forest. Arrived there, she came upon an asylum inhabited by an ascetic.
By that ascetic the transformed monarch gave birth to a century of sons.
Taking all those children of hers, she repaired to where her former
children were, and addressing the latter, said,--'Ye are the children of
my loins while I was a man. These are my children brought forth by me in
this state of transformation. Ye sons, do ye all enjoy my kingdom
together, like brothers born of the same parents.'--At this command of
their parent, all the brothers, uniting together, began to enjoy the
kingdom as their joint property. Beholding those children of the king all
jointly enjoying the kingdom as brothers born of the same parents, the
chief of the celestials, filled with wrath, began to reflect--'By
transforming this royal sage into a woman I have, it seems, done him good
instead of an injury.' Saying this, the chief of the celestials viz.,
Indra of a hundred sacrifices, assuming the form of a Brahmana, repaired
to the capital of the king and meeting all the children succeeded in
disuniting the princes. He said unto them--'Brothers never remain at peace
even when they happen to be the children of the same father. The sons of
the sage Kasyapa, viz., the deities and the Asuras, quarrelled with each
other on account of the sovereignty of the three worlds. As regards ye
princes, ye are the children of the royal sage Bhangaswana. These others
are the children of an ascetic. The deities and the Asuras are children
of even one common sire, and yet the latter quarrelled with each other.
How much more, therefore, should you quarrel with each other? This
kingdom that is your paternal property is being enjoyed by these children
of an ascetic.' With these words, Indra succeeded in causing a breach
between them, so that they were very soon engaged in battle and slew each
other. Hearing this, king Bhangaswana, who was living as an ascetic
woman, burnt with grief and poured forth her lamentations. The lord of
the celestials viz. Indra, assuming the guise of a Brahmana, came to that
spot where the ascetic lady was living and meeting her, said,--'O thou
that art possessed of a beautiful face, with what grief dost thou burn so
that thou art pouring forth thy lamentations?'--Beholding the Brahmana the
lady told him in a piteous voice,--'Two hundred sons of mine O regenerate
one, have been slain by Time. I was formerly a king, O learned Brahmana
a