Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 1

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 263

242
Sindhu, like sick men to a mother. After making beds out of sand-piles on her sandy beach, they sat down like people waiting for a bath after a funeral. Nude, supine, they concentrated their minds on the Nagakumāras, the Meghamukhas,805 their family deities, and made a four days' fast.
At the end of the four days' fast, the seats of the Nāgakumāras trembled, as if from fear of the cakra's brilliance. Seeing by clairvoyant knowledge the Mlecchas in distress like that, approaching like a father in case of sickness, they became visible to them. Standing in the air, they said to the Kirātas, "What desire have you in mind now? Speak, sirs." When they saw the Nagakumāras, the Meghamukhas, in the air, they placed their folded hands on their foreheads, like people who want a great deal, and said, "Now, some one has come to our country, never conquered before. Make him go away." The Meghamukhas said, "This is Bharata, the Cakravartin, invincible to gods, demons, and men, like Indra. The cakravartin on earth, he is impervious to charms, spells, poison, weapons, fire, magic powers, etc., like mountain-stone to chisels. Nevertheless, out of consideration for you, we will make trouble for him." With these words they departed.
Clouds appeared at once spreading over the sky, black as collyrium, like oceans that had sprung up from earth. They scolded, as it were, the army of the Cakrabhrt with the threatening finger of lightning; they screamed repeatedly, as it were, with loud cries of thunder. They stood above the King's camp at once, resembling a thunderbolt the size of the camp lifted for crushing it.
805 410. In the Jamb. (p. 240) also the Meghamukhas are mentioned as belonging to the Nagakumāras, but I have not found them in any of the schemes. The Nagakumaras are a subdivision of the Bhavanapatis. Hem. frequently refers to the Meghakumāras, but they also are not given in the lists. Perhaps they and the Meghamukhas are the same.