ORIENTAL SERIES.

294
SISU-PALASlTA.
in its circular path,
for all the celestial luminaries are, in fact,
bound to the polar star by aerial cords."
SLSTJ-PALA Son of Dama-ghosha, king of Chedi, by ruta-
deva, sister of Vasu-deva ; he was therefore cousin of Krishna,
but he was Krishna's implacable foe, because K?'ishna had car-
ried off Rukmini, his intended wife. He was slain by Krishna
at the great sacrifice of Yudhi-sh&ira in punishment of opprobrious
abuse. The Maha-bharata states that isu-pala was born
with three eyes and four arms. His parents were inclined to
cast him out, but were warned by a voice not to do so, as his
time was not come. It also foretold that his superfluous mem-
bers should disappear when a certain person took the child into
his lap, and that he would eventually die by the hands of that
same person. Krishna placed the child on his knees and the
Krishna also killed him. The
extra eye and arms disappeared ;
Vislmu Purana contributes an additional legend about him.
" $isu-pala was in a former existence the unrighteous but valiant
monarch of the Daityas, Hiranya-kasipu, who was killed by the
divine guardian of creation
(in the man-lion Avatara). He was
next the ten-headed (sovereign Ravana), whose unequalled
prowess, strength, and power were overcome by the lord of the
three worlds (Rama). Having been killed by the deity in the
form of Raghava, he had long enjoyed the reward of his virtues
in exemption from an embodied state, but had now received
birth once more as $isu-pala, the son of Dama-ghosha, king of
Chedi. In this character he renewed with greater inveteracy
than ever his hostile hatred towards PuT^arikaksha (Vishnu),
. . . and
was in consequence slain by him. But from the cir-
cumstance of his thoughts being constantly engrossed by the
supreme being, $isu-pala was united with him after death, . . .
for the lord bestows a heavenly and exalted station even upon
those whom he slays in his displeasure." He was called Su-
nitha, l
virtuous.'
I#UPALA-BADHA. <
'
The death of Slsu-pala an ; epic poem
by Magha, in twenty cantos. It has been often printed, and has
been translated into French by Fauche,
SlTA 'A furrow/ In the Veda, Sita is the furrow, or hus-
bandry personified, and worshipped as a deity presiding over
agriculture and fruits. In the Ramayana and later works she is
daughter of Janaka king of Videha, and wife of Rama. The