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you before I die." Then Gunaśsarman said, " By all means let it be so. For it is better to live for one moment, bound by the -bonds of righteousness, than to live unrighteously for hundreds of crores of kalpas. And it is far preferable for me to die without reproach, having done no wrong, than for me to have done wrong, and to be put to death by the king, with reproach attaching to my name." When the queen heard that, she went on to say to him— "Do not commit treason against yourself, and me; listen, I will tell you something. The king does not neglect to do what I tell him, even if it is impossible; so I will ask him and get territories given to you, and I will have all your servants made barons, so you will become a king, for you are distinguished for good qualities. So what have you to fear? Who can overpower you and how? So grant my wishes fearlessly, otherwise yon will not live." When the king's wife said this, seeing that she was determined, Gunaśarman said to her artfully, in order to put her off for a moment,— " If you are persistently set on this, then I will obey your command, but it will not be advisable to do so immediately, for fear it should get abroad; wait for some days; believe that what I say is true; what object have I in incurring your enmity which would ensure my destruction?" Thus Gunaśarman comforted her with that hope, and agreed to her request, and then departed with heart lightened.
Then, in the course of some days, king Mahásena went and surrounded king Somaka in his treasure-city. And when the king of Gauda, Vikramaśakti, knew that he had arrived there, he went and surrounded king Mahásena; then king Mahásena said to Gunaśarman— " While we are occupied in besieging one enemy we are besieged by another, so now how are we to fight with two enemies, as we are unequal in force? And how long, being brave men, can we remain without fighting a battle? So what are we to do in this difficulty?" When Gunaśarman, who was at the side of the king, was asked this question, he answered— " Be of good courage, my sovereign; I will devise a stratagem that will enable us to get out of this situation, difficult as it is. He comforted the king with these words, and put on his .eyes an ointment that rendered him invisible, and at night went, without any one seeing him, to the camp of Vikramaśakti. And he entered into his presence, and woke him up while asleep, and said, ' Know, O king, that I am come a messenger from the gods. Make peace with king Mahásena and depart quickly, otherwise you will certainly be destroyed here with your army. And if you send an ambassador, he will agree to your proposals of peace; I have been sent by the holy Vishnu to tell you this. For you are a votary of his, and he watches over the safety of his votaries." When, king Vikramaśakti heard this, he thought, "Certainly this is true, if he were any other, how could he enter this carefully guarded tent? This is not what a mere mortal could accomplish." When the king had
