d duly observing holy vows, summon thou the god of justice and
virtue by the help of thy solicitations and incantations.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Kunti, that best of women, thus addressed
by her lord, said, 'So be it.' And bowing down to him and reverently
circumambulating his person, she resolved to do his bidding.'"

SECTION CXXIII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'O Janamejaya, when Gandhari's conception had been a
full year old, it was then that Kunti summoned the eternal god of justice
to obtain offspring from him. And she offered without loss of time,
sacrifices unto the god and began to duly repeat the formula that Durvasa
had imparted to her some time before. Then the god, overpowered by her
incantations, arrived at the spot where Kunti was seated in his car
resplendent as the Sun. Smiling, he asked, 'O Kunti, what am I to give
thee?' And Kunti too smiling in her turn, replied, 'Thou must even give
me offspring.' Then the handsome Kunti was united (in intercourse) with
the god of justice in his spiritual form and obtained from him a son
devoted to the good of all creatures. And she brought his excellent
child, who lived to acquire a great fame, at the eighth Muhurta called
Abhijit, of the hour of noon of that very auspicious day of the seventh
month (Kartika), viz., the fifth of the lighted fortnight, when the star
Jyeshtha in conjunction with the moon was ascendant. And as soon as the
child was born, an incorporeal voice (from the skies) said, 'This child
shall be the best of men, the foremost of those that are virtuous. Endued
with great prowess and truthful in speech, he shall certainly be the
ruler of the earth. And this first child of Pandu shall be known by the
name of Yudhishthira. Possessed of prowess and honesty of disposition, he
shall be a famous king, known throughout the three worlds.'

"Pandu, having obtained that virtuous son, again addressed his wife and
said. 'The wise have declared that a Kshatriya must be endued with
physical strength, otherwise he is no Kshatriya.' Therefore, ask thou for
an offspring of superior strength. Thus commanded by her lord, Kunti then
invoked Vayu. And the mighty god of wind, thus invoked, came unto her,
riding upon a deer, and said, 'What, O Kunti, am I to give thee? Tell me
what is in thy heart" Smiling in modesty, she said to him, 'Give me, O
best of celestials, a child endued with great strength and largeness of
limbs and capable