Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/337

Rh art a hero, of excitable temper and always engaged in.exercises of arms. It is very probable that thou wouldst be slain on the field of battle. If it so happen, what would be the state of the Bharata dynasty? It is this thought that hath made me so melancholy, I have now told thee fully the causes of my sorrow.

Vaisampayana continued, " who was endued with great intelligence, having ascertained all this from the king, reflected within himself for a while. He then went to the old minister devoted to his father's welfare and asked him about the cause of the king's grief. O thou bull of the Bharata race, when the prince questioned the minister, the latter told him about the boon that was demanded by the chief of the fishermen in respect of his daughter Gandhavati. Then, accompanied by many Kshatria chiefs of venerable age, himself repaired to the chief of the fishermen and begged of him his daughter on behalf of the king. The chief of the fishermen received him after due adorations, and, O thou of the Bharata race, when the prince took his seat in the court of the chief, the latter addressed him and said, 'O thou bull among the Bharatas, thou art the first of all wielders of weapons and the only son of Shantanu. Thy influence is great. But I have something to tell thee. If the bride's father were Indra himself, even he would have to repent if he were to reject such an exceedingly honorable and desirable proposal of marriage. That great man from whose seed this celebrated maiden named Satyavati hath been born is, indeed, equal to ye in virtues. He hath spoken to me on many occasions of the virtues of thy father and told me that that king alone was worthy of marrying Satyavati. Let me tell you that I have even rejected the solicitations of that best of Brahmarshis—the celestial Rishi Asita—who had often asked for Satyavati's hand in marriage. I have only one word to say on the part of this maiden. In the matter of the proposed marriage there is only one great objection founded on the fact of a rival existing in a co-wife's son. O thou oppressor of all foes, he hath no security, even if he be an Asura or a Gandharva, who hath a rival in thee! There is this only objection in the proposed