Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/260

226 tank. A son is more meritorious than a sacrifice. Truth is more meritorious than a hundred sons. An hundred horse-sacrifices had once been weighed with Truth. Truth was found heavier than an hundred horse-sacrifices. O king, Truth, I ween, may be equal to the study of the whole Vedas and ablutions in all holy places. There is no virtue equal to Truth. There is nothing superior to Truth. O king, Truth is God himself. Truth is the highest vow. Therefore, violate not thy pledge, O monarch! Let Truth and thee be ever united. If thou placest no credit on my words, I shall of my own accord go hence. Indeed, thy companionship should be avoided. But know thou, O Dushmanta, that when thou art gone, this son of mine shall rule the whole earth surrounded by the four seas and adorned by the king of the mountains.

Vaisampayana continued, "And Sakuntala having spoken to the monarch in this wise, then left his presence. But as soon as she had left, a voice from the skies, emanating from no visible shape, thus spoke to Dushmanta as he was sitting surrounded by his Ritwijas, Purohita, Acharyas, and Ministers. And the voice said, 'The mother is but the sheath of flesh: the son sprung from the father is the father himself. Therefore, O Dushmanta, cherish thy son, and insult not Sakuntala. O thou best of men, the son, who is but a form of one's own seed, rescueth (ancestors) from the regions of Yama. Thou art the progenitor of this boy. Sakuntala hath spoken the truth. The husband dividing his body in twain is born of his wife in the form of son. Therefore, O Dushmanta, cherish thou, O monarch, thy son born of Sakuntala. To live forsaking one's living son is a great misfortune. Therefore, O thou of the Puru race, cherish thy high-souled son born of Sakuntala! And because this child is to be cherished by thee even at our word, therefore shall this thy son be known by the name of Bharata (the cherished.)' Hearing these words uttered by the dwellers of heaven, the monarch of the Paurava race became overjoyed and spoke as follows unto his Purohita and ministers. 'Hear ye these words uttered by the celestial messenger? I also myself do know this one to be my son. If I had taken him as my son on the strength of