Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/156

122 various other kinds of wild animals. One day having pierced a deer with a sharp arrow and slung his bow on his back, he penetrated into the deep forest, searching for the animal here and there, like the illustrious Rudra himself of old pursuing in the heavens, with bow in hand, the deer which was the celestial sacrifice itself turned into that shape, after having pierced it. No deer that was pierced by Parikshita had ever escaped in the woods with life. This deer, however, wounded as before, fled with speed, as the (proximate) cause of the king's attainment of heaven. And the deer that Parikshita—that king of men—had pierced was lost to his gaze and drew the monarch far enough into the forest. And fatigued and thirsty, he came upon a Muni, in the forest, seated in a fold of kine and drinking to his fill the froth oozing out of the mouths of calves sticking the milk of their dams. And approaching him hastily, the monarch, hungry and fatigued, and raising his bow, asked that Muni of rigid vows, saying, 'O Brahmana, I am king Parikshita, the son of Abhimanyu. A deer pierced by me hath been lost. Hast ther seen it?' But that Muni, observing then the vow of silence, spake not unto him a word. And the king in anger thereupon placed upon his shoulder a dead snake, taking it up with the end of his bow. And the Muni suffered him to do it without protest. And he spake not a word, good or bad. And the king seeing him in that state, cast off his anger and became sorry. And he returned to his capital, but the Rishi continued in the same state. And the forgiving Muni, knowing that the monarch who was a tiger amongst kings was true to the duties of his order, cursed him not though insulted. And that tiger amongst monarchs, the foremost of the Bharata race, also knew him not for a virtuous Rishi. And it was for this that he had insulted him so.

"And that Rishi had a son by name Sringi, of tender years, gifted with great energy, deep in ascetic penances, severe in his vows, very wrathful, and difficult to be appeased. At times, he worshipped with great attention and respect his preceptor, seated with ease on his seat and over engaged in the good of all creatures.

"And commanded by his preceptor he was coming home when,