ORIENTAL SERIES.

308
SU-MERUSUNAH-SEPHAS.
voluptuous aberration they drove the nymphs hack to paradise
and recommenced their penance. At the end of 1000 years
Siva hlessed them "that in riches and strength they should
excel the gods." In their exaltation they warred against the
gods, who, in despair, appealed in succession to Brahma, Vislmu,
and Siva, hut in vain. The latter advised them to apply to
Durga, and they did so. She contrived to engage the Asuras in
war, defeated their forces, slew their commanders, Cha?^a and
Mu?ida 3 and finally killed them. See Sunda.
SU-MEEU. The mountain Meru, actual or personified.
SU-MJTRA. Wife of Dasa-ratha and mother of Lakshma?ia
and /Satru-ghna.
SU-MUKHA. <
See Dasa-ratha.
Handsome face.' This epithet is used for
Garucfa and for the son of Garuda,
r
#OTAJT-/SEPHAS.
The legend of SunaA-sephas, as told in
the Aitareya Brahmawa, is as follows : King Haris-chandra, of
the race of Ikshwaku, being childless, made a vow that if he
obtained a son he would sacrifice him to Vanma. A son was
born who received the name of Eohita, but the father postponed,
under various pretexts, the fulfilment of his vow. When
at length he resolved to perform the sacrifice, Rohita refused
to be the victim, and went out into the forest, where he lived
for six years. He then met a poor Brahman Jfoshi called
Ajigartta, who had three sons, and Rohita purchased from
Ajigartta foi a hundred cows, the second son, named SunaA-
sephas, to be the substitute for himself in the sacrifice. Varuwa
approved of the substitute, and the sacrifice was about to be per-
formed, the father receiving another hundred cows for binding
his son to the sacrificial post, and a third hundred for agreeing
to slaughter him. /SunaA-sephas saved himself by reciting verses
in honour of different deities, and was received into the family of
Yiswamitra, who was one of the officiating priests. The Rama-
ya?za gives a different version of the legend. Ambarisha, king
of Ayodhya, was performing a sacrifice when Indra carried off the
victim, The officiating priest represented that this loss could be
atoned for only by the sacrifice of a human victim. The king,
after a long search, found a Brahman J?ishi named jftichlka, who
had two sons, and the younger, SunaA-sephas, was then sold by
his own consent for a hundred thousand cows, ten millions of gold
pieces, and heaps of jewels. Sunaftr-sephas met with his mater-