Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/211

Rh if thou grantest my wish. And, O timid fair one, do thou solicit the boon that thou desirest! Thou of fair smiles, my grace hath never before proved fruitless.' And thus addressed, the maiden asked for the boon that her body might emit a sweet scent (instead of the fishy odor that it had.) And the illustrious Rishi thereupon granted the wish of her heart.

"And having obtained her boon, she became very much gratified, and her season immediately came. And she accepted the embraces of that Rishi of wonderful deeds. And she thenceforth became known among men by the name of Gandhavati (the sweet-scented one.) And men could perceive her scent from the distance of a yojana. And for this she was known by another name which was Yojanagandha (one who scatters her scent for a yojana all around.) And the illustrious Parashara, after this, went to his own asylum.

"And Satyavati gratified with having attained the excellent boon (viz, that she became sweet-scented and that her virginity also remained unsullied), conceived in consequence of having admitted Parashara unto herself. And she brought forth the very day, on an island in the Jumna, the child begot in her by Parashara and gifted with great energy. And the child, with the permission of his mother, set his mind on asceticism. And (he went away) saying, 'As soon as remembered by thee when occasion comes, shall I appear unto thee.'

"And it was thus that Dwaipayana was born of Satyavati by Parashara. And because he was born in an island, therefore was he called Dwaipayana, (Dwipa- or island-born.) And the learned Dwaipayana, beholding that virtue is destined to become lame by one pada each yuga (there being four padas in all) and that the period of life and strength too of men followed the yugas, and moved by the desire of doing good to Brahma and the Brahmanas, arranged the Vedas. And therefore came he to be called Vyasa (the arranger or compiler of the Vedas.) The boon-giving great one then taught Sumantu, Jaimini, Paila, his own son Suka, and Vaisampayana, the Vedas having the Mahabharata for their fifth. And the compilation of the Bharata was published by him through them separately.