Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/329

 ( Sambhava Parva continued. )

Shantanu asked, 'What was the fault of the Vasus and who was Apava through whose curse the Vasus had to be horn among men? What also hath this child of thine—Gangadatta—done for which he shall have to live among men? Why also were the Vasus—the lords of the three worlds—condemned to be born anongstamongst [sic] men? O daughter of Janhu, tell me all.

Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed, the celestial the daughter of Janhu, Ganga, then replied to the monarch, her husband—that bull amougst men—saying, 'O thou best of that Bharata race, he who was obtained as son by Varuna was called Vashishta—the Muni who afterwards came to be known as Apava. He had his asylum on the side of the king of mountains Meru. The ground was sacred and abounded with birds and beasts, and there bloomed at all times of the year flowers of every season, And, O thou best of the Bharata race, the foremost of virtuous men, the son of Varuna, practised his ascetic penances in those woods abounding with sweet roots and fruits and water.

Daksha had a daughter known by the name of Surabhi. And, O thou bull of the Bharata race, Surabhi, for benefiting the world, brought forth, by her connection with Kasyapa, a daughter (Nandini) in the form of a cow. The foremost of all kine, Nandini, was the cow of plenty (capable of granting every desire.) And the virtuous son of Varuna obtained Nandini for his Homa cow. And the cow, dwelling in that hermitage which was adored by Munis, roved fearlessly in those sacred and delightful woods.

"One day, O thou bull of the Bharata race, there came into those woods adored by the gods and celestial Rishis, the Vasus with Prithu as their head. And wandering there with their wives, they enjoyed themselves in those delightful woods and mountains. And as they were wandering there, the slender-waisted wife of one of the Vasus, O thou of the prowess of Indra, saw in those woods Nandini the cow of plenty. And