ore said,--"Mahadeva of golden eyes was gratified
by me with my penances. Gratified with me, O Yudhishthira, the
illustrious Deity said unto me,--'Thou shalt, O Krishna, through my grace,
become dearer to all persons than wealth which is coveted by all. Thou
shalt be invincible in battle. Thy energy shall be equal to that of Fire.'
Thousands of other boons Mahadeva gave unto me on that occasion. In a
former incarnation I adored Mahadeva on the Manimantha mountain for
millions of years. Gratified with me, the illustrious Deity said unto me
these words:--'Blessed be thou, do thou solicit boons as thou wishest.
Bowing unto him with a bend of my head, I said these words,--'If the
puissant Mahadeva has been gratified with me, then let my devotion to him
be unchanged, O Isana! Even this is the boon that I solicit.'--The great
God said unto me,--'Be it so'--and disappeared there and then."

"'Jaigishavya said, "O Yudhishthira, formerly in the city of Varanasi, the
puissant Mahadeva searching me out, conferred upon me the eight
attributes of sovereignty."

"'Garga said,--"O son of Pandu, gratified with me in consequence of mental
sacrifice which I had performed, the great God bestowed upon me, on the
banks of the sacred stream Saraswati, that wonderful science, viz., the
knowledge of Time with its four and sixty branches. He also bestowed
upon me, a thousand sons, all possessed of equal merit and fully
conversant with the Vedas. Through his grace, their periods of life as
also that of mine have become extended to ten millions of years."

"'Parasara said,--"In former times I gratified Sarva, O king. I then
cherished the desire of obtaining a son that would be possessed of great
ascetic merit, endued with superior energy, and addressed to high Yoga,
that would earn world-wide fame, arrange the Vedas, and become the home
of prosperity, that would be devoted to the Vedas and the Brahmanas and
be distinguished for compassion. Even such a son was desired by me from
Maheswara. Knowing that this was the wish of my heart, that foremost of
Deities said unto me,--'Through the fruition of that object of thine which
thou wishest to obtain from me, thou shalt have a son of the name of
Krishna. In that creation which shall be known after the name of
Savarni-Manu, that son of thine shall be reckoned among the seven Rishis.
He shall arrange the Vedas, and be the propagator of Kuru's race. He
shall, besides, be the author of the ancient histori