Janamejaya said, “What was that secret which was not revealed to Karna by
the deity of warm rays? Of what kind also were those ear-rings and of
what sort was that coat of mail? Whence, too, was that mail and those
ear-rings? All this, O best of men. I wish to hear! O thou possessed of
the wealth of asceticism, do tell me all this!”
Vaisampayana said, “I will, O monarch, tell thee that secret which was
not revealed by the deity possessed of the wealth of effulgence. I will
also describe unto thee those ear-rings and that coat of mail. Once on a
time, O king, there appeared before Kuntibhoja a Brahmana of fierce
energy and tall stature, bearing a beard and matted locks, and carrying a
staff in his hand. And, he was agreeable to the eye and of faultless
limbs, and seemed to blaze forth in splendour. And he was possessed of a
yellow-blue complexion like that of honey. And his speech was
mellifluous, and he was adorned with ascetic merit and a knowledge of the
Vedas. And that person of great ascetic merit, addressing king
Kuntibhoja, said, ‘O thou that are free from pride, I wish to live as a
guest in thy house feeding on the food obtained as alms from thee!
Neither thy followers, nor thou thyself, shall ever act in such a way as
to produce my displeasure! If, O sinless one, it liketh thee, I would
then live in thy house thus! I shall leave thy abode when I wish, and
come back when I please. And, O king, no one shall offend me in respect
of my food or bed.’--Then Kuntibhoja spake unto him these words
cheerfully, ‘Be it so, and more.’ And he again said unto him, ‘O thou of
great wisdom, I have an illustrious daughter named Pritha. And she
beareth an excellent character, is observant of vow, chaste, and of
subdued senses. And she shall attend on thee and minister unto thee with
reverence. And thou wilt be pleased with her disposition!’ And having
said this to that Brahmana and duly paid him homage, the king went to his
daughter Pritha of large eyes, and spake thus unto her, ‘O child, this
eminently pious Brahmana is desirous of dwelling in my house! I have
accepted his proposal, saying,--So be it, relying, O child, on thy
aptitude and skill in ministering unto Brahmanas. It, therefore, behoveth
thee to act in such a manner that my words may not be untrue. Do thou
give him with alacrity whatever this reverend Brahmana possessed of
ascetic merit and engaged in the study of the Vedas, may want. Let
everything that this Brahmana asketh for be giver to him cheerfully. A
Brahmana is the embodiment of pre-eminent energy: he is also the
embodiment of the highest ascetic merit. It is in consequence of the
virtuous practices of Brahmanas that the sun shineth in the heavens. It
was for their disregard of Brahmanas that were deserving of honour that
the mighty Asura Vatapi, as also Talajangha, was destroyed by the curse
of the Brahmanas. For the present, O child, it is a highly virtuous one
of that order that is entrusted to thy keep. Thou shouldst always tend
this Brahmana with concentrated mind. O daughter, I know that, from
childhood upwards, thou hast ever been attentive to Brahmanas, and
superiors, and relatives, and servants, and friends, to thy mothers and
myself. I know thou bearest thyself well, bestowing proper regard upon
everyone. And, O thou of faultless limbs, in the city of the interior of
my palace, on account of thy gentle behaviour, there is not one, even
among the servants, that is dissatisfied with thee. I have, therefore,
thought thee fit to wait upon all Brahmanas of wrathful temper. Thou art,
O Pritha, a girl and has been adopted as my daughter. Thou art born in
the race of the Vrishnis, and art the favourite daughter of Sura. Thou
wert, O girl, given to me gladly by thy father himself. The sister of
Vasudeva by birth, thou art (by adoption) the foremost of my children.
Having promised me in these words,--I will give my first born,--thy
father gladly gave thee to me while thou wert yet in thy infancy. It is
for this reason that thou art my daughter. Born in such a race and reared
in such a race, thou hast come from one happy state to another like a
lotus transferred from one lake to another. O auspicious girl, women,
specially they that are of mean extraction, although they may with
difficulty be kept under restraint, become in consequence of their unripe
age, generally deformed in character. But thou, O Pritha, art born in a
royal race, and thy beauty also is extraordinary. And then, O girl, thou
art endued with every accomplishment. Do thou, therefore, O damsel,
renouncing pride and haughtiness and a sense of self-importance, wait
upon and worship the boon-giving Brahmana, and thereby attain, O Pritha,
to an auspicious state! By acting thus, O auspicious and sinless girl,
thou wilt surely attain to auspiciousness! But if on the contrary, thou
stirest up the anger of this best of the twice-born ones, my entire race
will be consumed by him!’”