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CHAPTER SIX
exile for a long time. From anger at that, you were made to fight, father. Pardon me. I shall go on the master's business. You go to our master's presence."
• Mahendra embraced him, powerful, and said, “I have heard of you before through popular report. By good fortune I have seen that you are strong, now. Go on your master's business. May your journey be prosperous.” With these words Mahendra went to Rāghava with his army.
As Hanumat went through the air, he saw two mupis standing in kāyotsarga on the island Dadhimukha. Not far from them he saw three maidens engaged in meditation, who had perfect forms, occupied with subduing a vidyā. Then a forest-fire blazed up on the whole island and the sādhus and the maidens were in danger from the fire. From friendliness toward them Hanumat took water from the ocean by means of a vidyā and extinguished the fire, like a cloud. Just at that time the maidens had the vidyā subdued and, after circumambulating the two munis engaged in meditation, they said to Hanumat: "You did well to prevent a calamity to the sādhus, devout layman. With your assistance the vidyā has submitted to us without wasting time.” “Who are you?” he asked and the maidens said:
"In this city Dadhimukha there is a king, king of the Gandharvas. We are his daughters by Kusumamālā. Many lords of Khecaras have asked our father for us. A Khecara, Angāraka by name, became crazy on our account. Our father did not give us to him nor any one else, for he was very fastidious. Our father asked a muni, 'Who will be my daughters' husband?' and he said, 'Whoever kills Sāhasagati, he will be. Because of that speech our father is searching for him, but has not found him anywhere. To learn who he is, we undertook the subduing of the vidyā. The fire was made by Angāraka to destroy the vidyā and was nobly extinguished by you, a disinterested friend. The vidyā, named Manogāminī, which
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