________________
41
KALPA SÚTRA.
fully along, and descending from heaven with open mouth, as if he were coming directly down upon you ; a lion with sharp strong claws, yet pleasing to the sight, and with a tongue hanging out of his mouth, beautiful as the petal of a lotus.
The fourth dream seen by her whose face was like the full moon, was a vision of the goddess Lakshmi, sitting on her lofty lotus throne. Her form was altogether excellent; one foot was firmly planted on the ground, and seemed like a pillar of gold. It was elevated in the centre like the back of a tortoise, while the nails partly hid by the muscles of the toes, were stained with a brilliant red dye. Her fingers and toes were soft and tapering like the leaves of a lotus ; her well-formed legs were adorned with circular ornaments ; her knee-bones were hid in the muscles, and her thighs tapering upward like the trunk of an elephant. Encircling her loins was an elegant zone of gold, while the circle of the navel resembled a cloud of black bees, being continuous, fine, ever-moving, soft, downy, large, and elegant. The other three circles which are in the middle of the palms of the hands, were also elegantly formed. Her whole body was adorned with various kinds of jewels, wholly faultless, and highly brilliant. In particular, she had a pearl necklace, intermingling with garlands of sweet-scented flowers. A circular pendant fell down between her breasts, and adorned her chest,