"Lomasa said, 'O most righteous of kings! When he heard these words
(proceeding) from the sky, he had faith therein, and did all that he was
directed to do, O chief of the men of Bharata's race! Then the ruler of
men took separately each of the seeds and then placed these divisions
(of the gourd) in vessels filled with clarified butter. And intent on
the preservation of his sons, he provided a nurse for every
(receptacle). Then after a long time there arose sixty thousand
exceedingly powerful sons of that same king--gifted with unmeasured
strength, they were born, O ruler of earth! to that saint-like king, by
Rudra's favour. And they were terrible; and their acts were ruthless.
And they were able to ascend and roam about in the sky; and being
numerous themselves, despised everybody, including the gods. And they
would chase even the gods, the Gandharvas, and the Rakshasas and all the
born beings, being themselves valiant and addicted to fighting. Then all
people, harassed by the dull-headed sons of Sagara, united with all the
gods, went to Brahma as their refuge. And then addressed the blessed
grandfather of all beings (Brahma), "Go ye your way, ye gods, together
with all these men. In a not very long space of time, there will come
about, O gods! a great and exceedingly terrible destruction of Sagara's
sons, caused by the deed perpetrated by them." Thus addressed, those
same gods, and men, O lord of the sons of Manu! bade adieu to the
grandfather, and went back to whence they had come. Then, O chief of
Bharata's race! after the expiry of very many days, the mighty king
Sagara accepted the consecration for performing the rites of a
horse-sacrifice. And his horse began to roam over the world, protected
by his sons. And when the horse reached the sea, waterless and frightful
to behold--although the horse was guarded with very great care--it
(suddenly) vanished at the very spot (it stood upon). Then, O respected
sir! those same sons of Sagara imagined the same fine horse to have been
stolen; and returning to their father, narrated how it had been stolen
out of sight. And thereupon he addressed them, saying, "Go ye and search
for the horse in all the cardinal points." Then, O great king, by this
command of their father, they began to search for the horse in the
cardinal points and throughout the whole surface of the earth. But all
those sons of Sagara, all mutually united, could not find the horse, nor
the person who had stolen it. And coming back then, they with joined
palms thus addressed their father, (standing) before them, "O Protector
of men! O ruler of the earth! O king! by thy command, the whole of this
world with its hills and its forest tracts, with its seas, and its
woods, and its islands, with its rivulets and rivers and caves, hath
been searched through by us. But we cannot find either the horse, or the
thief who had stolen the same." And hearing the words, the same king
became senseless with wrath, and then told them all, carried away by
Destiny, "Go ye all, may ye never return! Search ye again for the horse.
Without that sacrificial horse, ye must never return, my boys!"
"'And those same sons of Sagara, accepted this command of their father,
and once more began to search through the entire world. Now these heroes
saw a rift on the surface of the earth. And having reached this pit, the
sons of Sagara began to excavate it. And with spades and pickaxes they
went on digging the sea, making the utmost efforts. And that same abode
of Varuna (namely the ocean), being thus excavated by the united sons
of Sagara and rent and cut on all sides round, was placed in a condition
of the utmost distress. And the demons and snakes and Rakshasas and
various (other) animated beings began to utter distressful cries, while
being killed by Sagara's sons. And hundreds and thousands of animated
beings were beheld with severed heads and separated trunks and with
their skins and bones and joints rent asunder and broken. Thus they went
on digging the ocean, which was the abode of Varuna and an exceedingly
long space of time expired in this work, but still the horse was not
found. Then, O lord of earth! towards the north-eastern region of the
sea, the incensed sons of Sagara dug down as far as the lower world, and
there they beheld the horse, roaming about on the surface of the ground.
And they saw the magnanimous Kapila, who looked like a perfect mass of
splendour. And having beheld him shining with his brightness, just as
the fire shineth with its flames, they, O king! seeing the horse, were
flushed with delight. And they being incensed, sent forward by their
fate, paid no heed to the presence of the magnanimous Kapila, and ran
forward with a view to seizing the horse. Then, O great king! Kapila,
the most righteous of saints,--he whom the great sages name as Kapila
Vasudeva--assumed a fiery look, and the mighty saint shot flames towards
them, and thereby burnt down the dull-headed sons of Sagara. And Narada,
whose practice of austerities was very great, when he beheld them
reduced to ashes, came to Sagara's side, and gave the information to
him. And when the king learnt this terrible news which proceeded from
the mouth of the saint, for nearly an hour he remained sad, and then he
bethought himself of what Siva had said. Then sending for Ansuman, the
son of Asamanjas, and his own grandson, he, O chief of Bharata's race!
spake the following words, "Those same sixty thousand sons of unmeasured
strength having encountered Kapila's wrath, have met their death on my
account. And, O my boy of stainless character! thy father also hath been
forsaken by me, in order to discharge my duty (as a king), and being
desirous of doing good to my subjects."'
"Yudhishthira said, 'O saint, whose sole wealth consists in religious
practices! Tell me for what reason, Sagara, the foremost of kings,
abandoned his own begotten son, endued with valour--an act so difficult
(for all other men).'
"Lomasa said, 'A son was born to Sagara, known by the name of Asamanjas,
he who was given birth to by the princess of Sivi. And he used to seize
by throat the feeble children of the townsmen, and threw them while
screaming into the river. And thereupon the townsmen, overwhelmed with
terror and grief, met together, and all standing with joined palms,
besought Sagara in the following way, "O great king! Thou art our
protector from the dreaded peril of attack from a hostile force.
Therefore it is proper for thee to deliver us from the frightful danger,
proceeding from Asamanjas." And the most righteous of the rulers of men,
having heard this frightful news from his subjects, for nearly an hour
remained sad and then spake to his ministers, saying, "This day from the
city let my son Asamanjas be driven forth. If ye wish to do what will be
acceptable to me, let this be quickly done." And, O protector of men!
those same ministers, thus addressed by the king, performed in a hurry
exactly what the king had commanded them to do. Thus have I narrated to
thee how the magnanimous Sagara banished his son, with a view to the
welfare of the residents of the town. I shall now fully narrate to thee
what Ansuman of the powerful bow was told by Sagara. Listen to me!
"'Sagara said, "O my boy! sore am I at heart for having abandoned thy
father, on account of the death of my sons, and also on being
unsuccessful in getting back the horse. Therefore, O grandson! harassed
with grief and confounded with the obstruction to my religious rites as
I am, thou must bring back the horse and deliver me from hell." Thus
addressed by the magnanimous Sagara, Ansuman went with sorrow to that
spot where the earth had been excavated. And by that very passage he
entered into the sea, and beheld that illustrious Kapila and that same
horse. And having beheld that ancient saint, most righteous of his
order, looking like a mass of light, he bowed with his head to the
ground, and informed him of the reason of his visit. Then, O great king,
Kapila was pleased with Ansuman, and that saint of a virtuous soul told
him to ask for a favour from him. And he in the first place prayed for
the horse, for the purpose of using it in the sacrifice; in the second
place he prayed for the purification of his fathers. Then the mighty
chief of saints, Kapila spake to him, saying, "I shall grant thee
everything that thou desirest, O stainless (prince). May good luck be
thine! In thee are fixed (the virtues of) forbearance, and truth, and
righteousness. By thee hath Sagara had all his desires fulfilled. Thou
are (really) a son to thy father. And by thy ability the sons of Sagara
will go to heaven (i.e., will be delivered from the consequences of
their unhallowed death). And the son of thy son, with a view to
purifying the sons of Sagara, will obtain the favour of the great god
Siva, (by means of practising great austerities), and will (thus) bring
(to this world) the river that floweth in three (separate) streams,
Ganga, O chief of men! May good luck be thine! Take thou with thee the
sacrificial horse. Finish, my lad! the sacrificial rites of the
magnanimous Sagara." Thus addressed by the illustrious Kapila, Ansuman
took the horse with him, and came back to the sacrificial yard of the
mighty-minded Sagara. Then he fell prostrate at the feet of the
high-souled Sagara, who smelt him on the head and narrated all the
events to him, all that had been seen and heard by him, and likewise the
destruction of Sagara's sons. He also announced that the horse had been
brought back to the sacrificial yard. And when king Sagara heard of
this, he no more grieved on account of his sons. And he praised and
honoured Ansuman, and finished those same sacrificial rites. His
sacrifice finished, Sagara was greeted honourably by all the gods; and
he converted the sea, Varuna's dwelling place, into a son of himself.
And the lotus-eyed (King Sagara) having ruled his kingdom for a period
of exceeding length, placed his grandson on the throne, (full of)
responsibilities and then ascended to heaven. And Ansuman likewise, O
great king! virtuous in soul, ruled over the world as far as the edge of
the sea, following the foot-prints of his father's father. His son was
named Dilipa, versed in virtue. Upon him placing the duties of his
sovereign post, Ansuman likewise departed this life. And then when
Dilipa heard what an awful fate had overtaken his forefathers, he was
sorely grieved and thought of the means of raising them. And the ruler
of men made every great effort towards the descent of Ganga (to the
mortal world). But although trying to the utmost of his power, he could
not bring about what he so much wished. And a son was born to him, known
by the name of Bhagiratha, beauteous, and devoted to a virtuous life,
and truthful, and free from feelings of malice. And Dilipa appointed him
as king, and betook himself to the forest life. And, O best of all the
scions of Bharata's race! that same king (Dilipa), devoted himself to a
successful course of austerities, and at the end of (sufficient) period,
from the forest departed to heaven.'"