Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/334

300 himself, had, by his keen celestial weapons, checked the flow or the river. And the king, beholding this extraordinary feat of the river Ganga being thus checked in her course near where that youth stood, became very much surprised. This youth was none other than Shantanu's son. But as Shantanu had seen his son only once a few moments after his birth, he had not sufficient recollection to identify that infant with the youth before his eyes. The youth, however, seeing his father knew him at once. But instead of confessing himself, he clouded the king's perception by his celestial powers of illusion and disappeared in his very sight.

"King Shantanu wondering much at what he saw and imagining the youth to be his own son, then addressed Ganga and said, 'Show me that child.' And Ganga, thus addressed, assuming a beautiful form, and holding the boy decked in ornaments in her right hand, showed him to Shantanu. And Shantanu recognised not that beautiful female bedecked with ornaments and attired in fine robes of white, although he had known her before. And Ganga said, 'O thou tiger among men, the eighth son that thou hadst sometime before begot in me is this one. Know that this excellent child is conversant with all weapons. O monarch, take him now. I have reared him with care. And go home, O thou tiger amogamong [sic] men, taking him with thee. Endued with superior intelligence, he has studied with Vasishta the whole Vedas with the Angas. Skilled in all weapons and a mighty bowman, he is like Indra himself in battle. And, O Bharata, both the gods and the Asuras look upon him with favor. Whatever branches of knowledge are known to Usana, this one knoweth completely. And so is he the master of all those shastras that the sen of Angira (Vrihaspati) adored by the gods and the Asuras knoweth. And all the weapons known to the powerful and invincible Rama the son of Jamadagni are known to this thy illustrious son of mighty arms. And, O king of superior courage, take home this thy own heroic child given unto thee by me. He is a mighty bowman and cognisant with the interpretation of all treatises on the duties of kings.' And thus commanded by Ganga, Shantanu taking with him his child resembling the Sun himself in glory,