Vast grew his body.] Alluding to the Vámana, or Dwarf Avatar of Vishnu, wrought to restrain the pride of the Giant Bali, who had expelled the Gods from Heaven, In that form he presented himself before the Giant, and asked him for three paces of land to build a hut. Bali ridiculed and granted the request. The dwarf immediately grew to a prodigious size, so that he measured the earth with one pace, and the heavens with another.
Sumeru.] Another name of the sacred Mount Meru; or rather the same word, with su, good, prefixed.
CANTO SEVENTH.
Pura's conqueror.] Pura, or Tripura, the name of a Demon destroyed by Siva.
Kaildsa's side.] A mountain, the fabulous residence of Kuvera, and favourite haunt of Siva, placed by the Hindus among the Himálayas.
Kuli came behind.] The name of one of the divine Matrons. The word also signifies in Sanskrit a row or succession of clouds, suggesting the comparison which follows.
In twofold language.] In Sanskrit and Prakrit. The latter is a softened modification of the former, to which it bears the same relation as Italian to Latin; it is spoken by the female characters of the Hindú drama.
