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heaven. "A boy has been born who shall be able to remember what he has heard once; he shall acquire knowledge from Varsha, and shall make the science of grammar famous in the world, and he shall be called Vararuchi by name, because whatever is excellent,[1] shall please him." Having uttered this, the voice ceased. Consequently, ever since this boy has grown big, I have been thinking, day and night, where that teacher Varsha can be, and to-day I have been exceedingly gratified at hearing it from your mouth. Therefore take him with you: what harm can there be in it, he is your brother?" When they heard this speech of my mother's, those two, Vyadi and Indradatta, overflowing with joy, thought that night but a moment in length. Then Vyadi quickly gave his own wealth to my mother to provide a feast, and desiring that I should be qualified to read the Vedas, invested me with the Brahmanical thread. Then Vyadi and Indradatta took me, who managed by my own fortitude to control the excessive grief I felt at parting, while my mother in taking leave of me could with difficulty suppress her tears, and considering that the favour of Kartikeya towards them had now put forth blossom, set out rapidly from that city; then in course of time we arrived at the house of the teacher Varsha : he too considered that I was the favour of Kartikeya arrived in bodily form. The next day he placed us in front of him, and sitting down in a consecrated spot, he began to recite the syllable Om with heavenly voice. Immediately the Vedas with the six supplementary sciences rushed into his mind, and then he began to teach them to us; then I retained what the teacher told us after hearing it once, Vyadi after hearing it twice, and Indradatta after hearing it three times: then the Brahmans of the city hearing of a sudden that divine sound, came at once from all quarters with wonder stirring in their breasts to see what this new thing might be; and with their reverend mouths loud in his praises honoured Varsha with low bows. Then beholding that wonderful miracle, not only Upavarsha, but all the citizens of Pataliputra[2] kept high festival. Moreover the king Nanda of exalted fortune, seeing the power of the boon of the son of Siva, was delighted, and immediately filled the house of Varsha with wealth, shewing him every mark of respect.[3]
- ↑ Vara = excellent ruch = to please.
- ↑ I.e. Palibothra.
- ↑ Wilson remarks (Essays on Sanskrit Literature, Vol. T, p. 165). "The contemporary existence of Nanda with Vararuchi and Vyadi is a circumstance of considerable interest in the literary history of the Hindus, as the two latter on philological topics. Vararuchi is also called in this Katyayana, who is one of the earliest commentators on Panini. Nanda is the predecessor or one of the predecessors of Chandragupta or Sandrakottos: and consequently the chief institutes of Sanskrit grammar are thus dated from the fourth century before the Christian era. We need
