king, speak a falsehood on such a serious occasion? He
said, 'Thou shouldst not grieve, O daughter of the snake race, about the
intended result 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 went away--Therefore, let the deep sorrow cherished 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 chief of the snakes then adored his sister with his best regards,
gift of wealth, and fitting eulogies. Then, O best of Brahmanas, the
embryo endued with great splendour, began to develop, like the moon in
the heavens in the bright fortnight.

And in due time, the sister of the snakes, O Brahmana, gave birth to a
son of the splendour of a celestial child, who became the reliever of the
fears of his ancestors and maternal relatives. The child grew up there in
the house of the king of the snakes. He studied the Vedas and their
branches with the ascetic 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
to 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 in the womb. Though but a boy, he had great gravity and intelligence.
And he was reared with great care in the palace 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.'"

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.'

'Sauti said, 'O Brahmana, hear all that the king asked his ministers, and
all that they said about the death of Parikshit.'

"Janamejaya asked, 'Know ye all that befell my father. How did that
famous king, in time, meet with his death? Hearing from you the incidents
of my father's life in detail, I shall ordain something, if it be for the
benefit of the world. Otherwise, I shall do nothing.'

'The minister replied, 'Hear, O monarch, what thou hast asked, viz., an
account of thy illustriou