Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/210

176 living in her piscatorial form, give birth to two children of human shape and then would be freed from the curse. And then, according to these words, having given birth to the two, and slain by the fishermen, leaving her fish form she assumed her own celestial shape. And that Apsara then went away into the regions of the Rishis crowned with success and of the Charanas.

"And the fish-smelling daughter of the Apsara in her piscatorial form was then given by the king unto the fishermen, saying, 'Let this one be thy daughter.' And the daughter was known by the name of Satyavati. And gifted with great beauty and possessed of every virtue, she of agreeable smiles, owing to contact with fishermen, was for some time of fishy smell. And wishing to serve her (foster) father, she plied a boat on the waters of the Yamuna.

"While engaged in this vocation, Satyavati was seen one day by the great Rishi Parashara, in course of his wanderings. Gifted with great beauty and an object of desire with even an anchoret, and of graceful smiles, the wise one, as soon as he beheld her, desired to have her. And that bull amongst Munis addressed the daughter of Vasu, of celestial beauty and tapering thighs, saying, 'Accept my embraces, O blessed one!' And Satyavati replied, 'O thou possessor of the six attributes, know that I am a maiden always under the control of my father. O thou sinless one, by accepting your embraces my virginity will be sullied. O thou best of Brahmanas, my virginity being sullied, how shall I, O Rishi, be able to return home? Indeed, I shall not then be able to bear life! Reflecting upon all this, O illustrious one, do that which should be done.' And the best of Rishis gratified with all she said, replied, 'Thou shalt remain a virgin even