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 given 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 stirrest up the
anger of this best of the twice-born ones, my entire race will be
consumed by him!'"