ld wed
that girl of eyes like lotus-leaves, and possessed of a burning
splendour.

"'And it came to pass that once on the occasion of a _parva_, having
fasted and bathed her head, she presented herself before the (family)
deity and caused the Brahmanas to offer oblations with due rites to the
sacrificial fire. And taking the flowers that had been offered to the
god, that lady, beautiful as _Sree_ herself, went to her high-souled
sire. And having reverenced the feet of her father and offering him the
flowers she had brought, that maiden of exceeding grace, with joined
hands, stood at the side of the king. And seeing his own daughter
resembling a celestial damsel arrived at puberty, and unsought by
people, the king became sad. And the king said, "Daughter, the time for
bestowing thee is come! Yet none asketh thee. Do thou (therefore)
thyself seek for a husband equal to thee in qualities! That person who
may be desired by thee should be notified to me. Do thou choose for thy
husband as thou listest. I shall bestow thee with deliberation. Do thou,
O auspicious one, listen to me as I tell thee the words which I heard
recited by the twice-born ones. The father that doth not bestow his
daughter cometh by disgrace. And the husband that knoweth not his wife
in her season meeteth with disgrace. And the son that doth not protect
his mother when her husband is dead, also suffereth disgrace. Hearing
these words of mine, do thou engage thyself in search of a husband. Do
thou act in such a way that we may not be censured by the gods!"'

"Markandeya said, 'Having said these words to his daughter and his old
counsellors, he instructed the attendants to follow her, saying,--_Go!_
Thereat, bashfully bowing down unto her father's feet, the meek maid
went out without hesitation, in compliance with the words of her sire.
And ascending a golden car, she went to the delightful asylum of the
royal sages, accompanied by her father's aged counsellors. There, O son,
worshipping the feet of the aged ones, she gradually began to roam over
all the woods. Thus the king's daughter distributing wealth in all
sacred regions, ranged the various places belonging to the foremost of
the twice-born ones.'"

SECTION CCLXLII

"Markandeya continued, 'On one occasion, O Bharata, when that king, the
lord of the Madras, was seated with Narada in the midst of his court,
engaged in conversation, Savitri, accompanied by the king's counsellors,
came to her fathe