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## The Second Chapter
**36.** The city, as if desiring to conquer the city of Tripura, was not afflicted by the pain inflicted by the arrows of Shiva, but by the pleas of the wealthy. The people of this city were all prosperous and enjoyed great happiness.
**37.** The city seemed to be adorned with rows of white palaces, gleaming with lime, as if it were built with moonstones set in silver.
**38.** The city was always filled with the sound of the ornaments of intoxicated women, making it seem like a second Alka Puri, the city of Kubera.
**39.** The best of the sages considered it a place of penance, the courtesans a temple of love, the dancers a dance hall, and the enemies a city of Yama, the god of death.
**40.** The warriors considered it a home for heroes, the beggars a place of wish-fulfilling gems, the students a house of their teacher, and the prisoners a city of rogues.
**41.** The learned in music and the arts considered it the city of Gandharva, and those eager to learn science considered it the abode of Vishwakarma, the divine architect.
**42.** The righteous considered it a place of good company, the merchants a land of profit, and those seeking refuge a safe haven built of diamond wood.
**43.** The news-bearers considered it a mysterious place like the lair of the Asuras, the clever considered it a gathering of fools, and those who followed the right path considered it the fruit of a good deed.
**44.** The bards considered it a place of festivals, the lustful a city of Apsaras, and the happy a realm of Siddhas.
**45.** The women of this city, though they were called Matangagamini, meaning they walked with the Chandals, were still considered virtuous. They were beautiful like elephants, and adorned with the virtue of chastity. Though they were dark-skinned, they were radiant like rubies. They were also fair-skinned, and possessed great wealth.
**46.** Their bodies were made of moonstones, and they were as delicate as the Sirisha tree. They were inaccessible to snakes, and their bodies were not made of false fabric.
**35.** The doors and fly whisks kept shaking.