Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/314

280 human beings. And the lord of the Earth Suhotra begat in his wife Aikshaki three sons, viz, Ajamida, Sumida, and Purumida. The eldest of them Ajamida was the perpetuator of the royal line. And he begat six sons in his three wives. Of these sons, Siksha was born of the womb of Dhumini, Dushmanta and Parameshti in that of Nila and Jahnyu, Jala, and Rupina, were born in that of Keshini. All the tribes of the Panchalas are descended from Dushmanta and Parameshti. And the Kushikas are the sons of Jahnyu of immeasurable prowess. And Riksha who was elder than both Jala and Rupina became king. And Riksha begat Samvarana the perpetuater of the royal line. And, O king, it hath been heard by us that while Samvarana the son of Riksha was ruling the earth, there happened a great loss of people from famine, pestilence, drought, and disease. And the Bharata princes were beaten by the troops of enemies. And the Panchalas setting out to invade the whole earth with their four kinds of troops soon brought the wolewhole [sic] earth under their sway. And with their ten Akshauhinis the king of Panchala defeated the Bharata prince. Samvarana then, with his wife and ministers, sons and relatives, fled in fear. And he took shelter in the forest on the banks of the Sindhu extending to the foot of the mountains. There the Bharatas lived for a full thousand years within their fort. And after they had lived there a thousand years, one day the illustrious Rishi Vashishta approached the exiled Bharatas. And the Bharatas going out saluted the Rishi and worshipped him by the offer of the Arghya. And entertaining him with reverence, they then represented everything unto that illustrious Rishi. And after he was seated on his seat, the king himself approached the Rishi and addressed him, saying, 'Be thou our Purohita, O illustrious one. We will endeavour to regain our kingdom.' And Vashista then answered the Bharatas by saying 'Om' (the sign of consent.) And it hath been heard by us that Vashista then installed the Bharata prince in the sovereignty of all the Kshatrias on the Earth, making by virtue of his mantras this descendant of Puru the veritable horns of the wild bull or the tusks of the wild elephant. And the