"'Bhishma said, "Listen truly in detail, O son of Pritha, how in olden
times Viswamitra attained to the status of a Brahmana Rishi. There was, O
foremost of Bharata's descendants, in the race of Bharata, a king of the
name of Ajamida, who performed many sacrifices and was the best of all
virtuous men. His son was the great king named Jahnu. Ganga was the
daughter of this high-minded prince. The farfamed and equally virtuous
Sindhudwipa was the son of this prince. From Sindhudwipa sprung the great
royal sage Valakaswa. His son was named Vallabha who was like a second
Dharma in embodied form. His son again was Kusika who was refulgent with
glory like unto the thousand-eyed Indra. Kusika's son was the illustrious
King Gadhi who, being childless and desiring to have a son born unto him,
repaired to the forest. Whilst living there, a daughter was born unto
him. She was called Satyavati by name, and in beauty of appearance she
had no equal on Earth. The illustrious son of Chyavana, celebrated by the
name of Richika, of the race of Bhrigu, endued with austere penances,
sought the hand of this lady. Gadhi, the destroyer of his enemies,
thinking him to be poor, did not bestow her in marriage upon the
high-souled Richika. But when the latter, thus dismissed, was going away,
the excellent king, addressing him said,--'If thou givest me a marriage
dower thou shalt have my daughter for thy wife.'
"'"Richika said, 'What dower, O king, shall I offer thee for the hand of
thy daughter? Tell me truly, without feeling any hesitation in the
matter.' Gadhi said,--'O descendant of Bhrigu, do thou give me a thousand
horses fleet as the wind, and possessing the hue of moon-beams, and each
having one ear black.'"
"'Bhishma said, "Then that mighty son of Chyavana who was the foremost of
Bhrigu's race, besought the deity Varuna, the son of Aditi, who was the
lord of all the waters.--'O best of gods, I pray to thee to give me a
thousand horses, all endued with the speed of the wind and with
complexion as effulgent as the moon's, but each having one ear black.' The
god Varuna, the son of Aditi, said to that excellent scion of Bhrigu's
race,--'Be it so. Wheresoever thou shalt seek, the horses shalt arise (in
thy presence).'--As soon as Richika thought of them, there arose from the
waters of Ganga thousand high-mettled horses, as lustrous in complexion
as the moon. Not far from Kanyakubja, the sacred bank of Ganga is still
famous among men as Aswatirtha in consequence of the appearance of those
horses at that place. Then Richika, that best of ascetics, pleased in
mind, gave those thousand excellent horses unto Gadhi as the
marriage-dower. King Gadhi, filled with wonder and fearing to be cursed,
gave his daughter, bedecked with jewels, unto that son of Bhrigu. That
foremost of regenerate Rishis accepted her hand in marriage according to
the prescribed rites. The princess too was well-pleased at finding
herself the wife of that Brahmana. That foremost of regenerate Rishis, O
Bharata, was well pleased with her conduct and expressed a wish to grant
her boon. The princess, O excellent king, related this to her mother. The
mother addressed the daughter that stood before her with down-cast eyes,
saving,--'It behoves thee, O my daughter, to secure a favour for me also
from thy husband. That sage of austere penances is capable of granting a
boon to me, the boon, viz. of the birth of a son to me.'--Then, O king,
returning quickly to her husband Richika, the princess related to him all
that had been desired by her mother. Richika said,--'By my favour, O
blessed one, she will soon give birth to a son possessed of every virtue.
May thy request be fulfilled. Of thee too shall be born a mighty and
glorious son who, endued with virtue, shall perpetuate my race. Truly do
I say this unto thee! When you two shall bathe in your season, she shall
embrace a peepul tree, and thou, O excellent lady, shalt likewise embrace
a fig tree, and by so doing shall ye attain the object of your desire. O
sweetly-smiling lady, both she and you shall have to partake of these two
sacrificial offerings (charu)[8] consecrated with hymns, and then shall ye
obtain sons (as desired).'--At this, Satyavati, delighted at heart, told
her mother all that had been said by Richika as also of the two balls of
charu. Then the mother, addressing her daughter Satyavati, said:--'O
daughter, as I am deserving of greater consideration from thee than thy
husband, do thou obey my words. The charu, duly consecrated with hymns,
which thy husband has given to thee, do thou give unto me and thyself
take the one that has been prescribed for me. O sweetly-smiling one of
blameless character, if thou hast any respect for my word, let us change
the trees respectively designed for us. Every one desires to possess an
excellent and stainless being for his own son. The glorious Richika too
must have acted from a similar motive in this matter, as will appear in
the end. For this reason, O beautiful girl, my heart inclines towards thy
charu, and thy tree, and thou too shouldst consider how to secure an
excellent brother for thyself.'--The mother and the daughter Satyavati
having acted in this way, they both, O Yudhishthira, became big with
child. And that great Rishi, the excellent descendant of Bhrigu, finding
his wife quick with child, was pleased at heart, and addressing her,
said,--'O excellent lady, thou hast not done well in exchanging the charu
as will soon become apparent. It is also clear that thou hast changed the
trees. I had placed the entire accumulated energy of Brahma in thy charu
and Kshatriya energy in the charu of thy mother. I had so ordered that
thou wouldst give birth to a Brahmana whose virtues would be famous
throughout the three worlds, and that she (thy mother) would give birth
to an excellent Kshatriya. But now, O excellent lady, that thou hast
reversed the order (of the charu) so, thy mother will give birth to an
excellent Brahmana and thou too, O excellent lady, will give birth to a
Kshatriya terrible in action. Thou hast not done will, O lady, by acting
thus out of affection for thy mother.'--Hearing this, O king the excellent
lady Satyavati, struck with sorrow, fell upon the ground like a beautiful
creeper cut in twain. Regaining her senses and bowing unto her lord with
head (bent), the daughter of Gadhi said to her husband, that foremost one
of Bhrigu's race,--'O regenerate Rishi, O thou that art foremost amongst
those versed in Brahma, do thou take pity on me, thy wife, who is thus
appeasing thee and so order that a Kshatriya son may not be born unto me.
Let my grandson be such a one as will be famous for his terrible
achievements, if it be thy desire, but not my son, O Brahmana. Do thou
confer this favour on me.'--'Be it so,'--said that man of austere penances
to his wife and then, O king, she gave birth to a blessed son named
Jamadagni. The celebrated wife of Gadhi too gave birth to the regenerate
Rishi Viswamitra versed in the knowledge of Brahma, by favour of that
Rishi. The highly devout Viswamitra, though a Kshatriya, attained to the
state of a Brahmana and became the founder of a race of Brahmanas. His
sons became high-souled progenitors of many races of Brahmanas who were
devoted to austere penances, learned in the Vedas, and founders of many
clans. The adorable Madhuchcchanda and the mighty Devrat, Akshina,
Sakunta, Vabhru, Kalapatha, the celebrated Yajnavalkya, Sthula of high
vows, Uluka, Mudgala, and the sage Saindhavayana, the illustrious
Valgujangha and the great Rishi Galeva, Ruchi, the celebrated Vajra, as
also Salankayana, Liladhya and Narada, the one known as Kurchamuka, and
Vahuli, Mushala, as also Vakshogriva, Anghrika, Naikadrik, Silayupa,
Sita, Suchi, Chakraka, Marrutantavya, Vataghna, Aswalayana, and
Syamayana, Gargya, and Javali, as also Susruta, Karishi, Sangsrutya, and
Para Paurava, and Tantu, the great sage Kapila, Tarakayana, Upagahana,
Asurayani, Margama, Hiranyksha, Janghari, Bhavravayani, and Suti,
Bibhuti, Suta, Surakrit, Arani, Nachika, Champeya, Ujjayana, Navatantu,
Vakanakha, Sayanya, Yati, Ambhoruha, Amatsyasin, Srishin, Gardhavi
Urjjayoni, Rudapekahin, and the great Rishi Naradin,--these Munis were
all sons of Viswamitra and were versed in the knowledge of Brahma. O king
Yudhishthira, the highly austere and devout Viswamitra, although a
Kshatriya (by descent), became a Brahmana for Richika having placed the
energy of supreme Brahma (in the charu). O foremost prince of Bharata's
race, I have now related to you, with all details, the story of the birth
of Viswamitra who was possessed of energy of the sun, the moon, and the
fire-god. O best of kings, if thou hast any doubt with regard to any
other matter, do thou let me know it, so that I may remove it.'"