th
no son. Sacrifices before fire and the knowledge of the three Vedas
yield, it is true, everlasting religious merit, but all these, in point
of religious merit, do not, come up to a sixteenth part of the religious
merit attainable on the birth of a son. Indeed, in this respect, there is
hardly any difference between men and the lower animals. O wise one, I do
not entertain a shadow of doubt that one attains to heaven in consequence
of his having begotten a son. The Vedas which constitute the root of the
Puranas and are regarded as authoritative even by the gods, contain
numerous proof of this. O thou of Bharata's race, thou art a hero of
excitable temper, who is always engaged in the exercise of arms. It is
very probable that thou wilt be slain on the field of battle. If it so
happen, what then will be the state of the Bharata dynasty, It is this
thought that hath made me so melancholy. I have now told thee fully the
causes of my sorrow.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Devavrata who was endued with great
intelligence, having ascertained all this from the king, reflected within
himself for a while. He then went to the old minister devoted to his
father's welfare and asked him about the cause of the king's grief. O
bull of Bharata's race, when the prince questioned the minister, the
latter told him about the boon that was demanded by the chief of the
fishermen in respect of his daughter Gandhavati. Then Devavrata,
accompanied by many Kshatriya chiefs of venerable age, personally
repaired to the chief of the fishermen and begged of him his daughter on
behalf of the king. The chief of the fishermen received him with due
adorations, and, O thou of Bharata's race, when the prince took his seat
in the court of the chief, the latter addressed him and said, 'O bull
among the Bharatas, thou art the first of all wielders of weapons and the
only son of Santanu. Thy power is great. But I have something to tell
thee. If the bride's father was Indra himself, even then he would have to
repent of rejecting such an exceedingly honourable and desirable proposal
of marriage. The great man of whose seed this celebrated maiden named
Satyavati was born, is, indeed, equal to you in virtue. He hath spoken to
me on many occasions of the virtues of thy father and told me that, the
king alone is worthy of (marrying) Satyavati. Let me tell you that I have
even rejected the solicitations of that best of Brahmarshis--the
celestial sage Asita--who, too,