regard to the purpose of our union! A son shall be born to thee, resplendent as the blazing sun.—O brother, having said this to me, my husband of ascetic wealth hath gone away. Therefore let this great grief abiding in thy heart disappear.'"
Sauti continued, "Thus addressed, Vasuki, the king of the snakes, accepted those words of his sister, and in great joy said, 'Be it so.' And the best of snakes then adored his uterine sister with his best regards, gift of wealth, and fitting adorations. Then, O best of Brahmanas, the embryo gifted with great energy and of great splendour, began to develop, like the moon in the heavens in the lighted fortnight.
"And in due time, the sister of the snake, O Brahmana, gave birth to a son of the splendour of a celestial child, and the reliever of the fears of his paternal ancestors and maternal relatives. And the child grew up there in the house of the king of the snakes. And he studied the Vedas and the Vedangas with the Muni Chyavana the son of Bhrigu. And though but a boy, his vows were rigid. And he was gifted with great intelligence, and with the several attributes of virtue, knowledge, freedom from the world's indulgences, and saintliness. And the name by which he was known in the world was Astika. And he was known by the name of Astika (whoever is) because his father had gone to the woods, saying, There is, when he was within the womb. And though but a boy he had great gravity and intelligence. And he was reared with great care in the palace of the king of the snakes. And he was like the illustrious lord of the celestials, Mahadeva of the golden form, the wielder of the trident. And he grew up day by day, the delight of all the snakes."
And so ends the forty-eighth Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.
Section XLIX.
( Astika Parva continued. )
Saunaka said, "Tell me again in detail all that king Janamejaya had asked his ministers about his father's ascension to heaven."
