Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/154

140 life-endued mountain called Kolahala maddened by lust. And Vasu, beholding the foul attempt, struck the mountain with his foot. And by the indentation caused by Vasu's stamp, the river came out of the embraces of Kolahala). But the mountain begat on the river two children that were twins. And the river, grateful to Vasu for his having set her free from Kolahala's embraces, gave them both to Vasu. And the child that was made the generalissimo to his forces by Vasu, that best of royal sages and giver of wealth and punisher of enemies. And the daughter, called Grika, was wived by Vasu.

"And Girika, the wife of Vasu, after her menstrual course, purifying herself by a bath, represented her state unto her lord. But that very day the Pitris of Vasu came unto that best of monarchs and fore. most of wise men, and asked him to slay deer (for their Sradha). And the king, thinking that the command of the Pitris should not be disobeyed, went a hunting, wishfully thinking of Girika alone who was gifted with great beauty and like unto another Sree herself. And the season being the spring, the woods within which the king was toaming, had become delightful like uinto the gardens of the king of the Gandharvas himself. There were Asokas.and Champakas and Chatas and Atimukras in abundance : and there were Punnagas and Karnikaras and Vakulas and Divya Patalas and Patalas and Narikelas and Chandanas and Arjunas and similar other beautiful and sacred trees resplendent with fragrant flowers and sweet fruits. And the whole forest was maddened by the sweet notes of the Kokila and echoed with the hum of maddened bees. And the king became possessed with desire, and he saw not bis wife before him. Maddened by desire as he was roaming hither and thither, he saw a beautiful Asoka decked with dense foliage and its branches covered with flowers. And the king sat at his ease in the shade of that tree. And excited by the fragrance of the season and the charming odouts of the flowers around, and excited also by the delicious breeze, the king could not keep his mind away from the thought of the beautiful Gitika. And beholding that a swift hawk was resting very near to him, the king, acquainted with the subtle truths of Dharma and Artha, went unto him and said, 'Amiable one, carry thou this seed (Semen) for my wife Girika and give it unto her. Her season hath arrived."

"The hawk, swift of speed, took it from the king and rapidly coursed through the air. While thus passing. the hawk was seen by another of his species. Thinking that the first one was carrying meat, the second one flew at him. The two fought with each other in the sky with their beak. While they were fighting, the seed fell into the waters of the Yamuna (Jumna). And in those waters dwelt an Apsara of the higher