Yudhishthira said, ‘O best of speakers! what was the extent of power and
strength possessed by king Somaka? I am desirous of hearing an exact
account of his deeds and of his power.”
“Lomasa said, ‘O Yudhishthira! there was a virtuous king Somaka by name.
He had one hundred wives, O king, all suitably matched to their husband.
He took great care, but could not succeed in getting a single son from
any one of them, and a long time elapsed during which he continued a
sonless man. Once upon a time, when he had become old, and was trying
every means to have a son, a son was born to him, Jantu by name, out of
that century of women. And, O ruler of men! All the mothers used to sit
surrounding their son and every one giving him such objects as might
conduce to his enjoyment and pleasure. And it came to pass that one day
an ant stung the boy at his hip. And the boy screamed loudly on account
of the pain caused by the sting. And forthwith the mothers were
exceedingly distressed to see how the child had been stung by the ant.
And they stood around him and set up cries. Thus there arose a tumultuous
noise. And that scream of pain suddenly reached (the ears of) the
sovereign of the earth, when he was seated in the midst of his ministers,
with the family priest at his side. Then the king sent for information as
to what it was about. And the royal usher explained to him precisely what
the matter was with reference to his son. And Somaka got up together with
his ministers and hastened towards the female apartments. And on coming
there, O subjugator of foes! he soothed his son. And having done so and
coming out from the female apartments, the king sat with his family
priest and ministers.’
“Somaka then spoke thus, ‘Fie on having only a single son! I had rather
be a sonless man. Considering how constantly liable to disease are all
organized beings, to have an only son is but a trouble. O Brahmana! O my
lord! With the view that I might have many sons born to me, this century
of wives hath been wedded by me, after inspection, and after I had
satisfied myself that they would prove suitable to me. But issue they
have none. Having tried every means, and put forth great efforts, they
have borne this single son, Jantu. What grief can be greater than this? O
most excellent of the twice-born caste! I am grown old in years and so
are my wives too. And yet this only son is like the breath of their
nostrils, and so he is to me also. But is there any ceremony, by
celebrating which one may get a hundred sons? (And if there is one such),
tell me whether it is great or small, and easy or difficult to perform.’
“The family priest said, ‘There is a ceremony by virtue of which a man
may get a century of sons. If thou art able to perform it, O Somaka, then
I shall explain it to thee.’
“Somaka said, ‘Whether it be a good or an evil deed, the ceremony by
which a hundred sons may be born, may be taken by thee as already
performed. Let thy blessed self explain it to me.’
“The family priest thereupon said, ‘O king! Let me set on foot a
sacrifice and thou must sacrifice thy son, Jantu in it. Then on no
distant date, a century of handsome sons will be born to thee. When
Jantu’s fat will be put into the fire as an offering to the gods, the
mothers will take a smell of that smoke, and bring forth a number of
sons, valourous and strong. And Jantu also will once more be born as a
self-begotten son of thine in that very (mother); and on his back there
will appear a mark of gold.’”