hi
was seated at his ease, the king and the queen, restraining speech,
continued to rub him. Endued with high ascetic merit the son of Bhrigu
did not once utter the word 'Sufficient.' Bhrigu's son, however, saw that
the royal couple were totally unmoved. Rising up suddenly, he entered the
bathing chamber. The diverse article necessary for a bath and such as
were fit for a king's use, were ready there. Without honouring, however,
any of those articles by appropriating them to his use, the Rishi once
more disappeared there and then by his Yoga-power, in the very sight of
king Kusika (and his spouse). This, however, O chief of the Bharatas,
failed to disturb the equanimity of the royal couple. The next time the
puissant Rishi was seen seated, after a bath on the throne. Indeed, it
was from that place that he then showed himself to the king and the
queen, O delighter of the Kurus. With a cheerful face, king Kusika,
together with his wife, then offered the Rishi cooked food with great
reverence. Endued with wisdom, and with heart totally unmoved, Kusika
made this offer. 'Let the food be brought' were the words that were then
uttered by the ascetic. Assisted by his spouse, the king soon brought
thither the food. There were diverse kinds of meat and different
preparations also thereof. There was a great variety of vegetables also
and pot-herbs. There were juicy cakes too among those viands, and several
agreeable kinds of confectionery, and solid preparations of milk. Indeed,
the viands offered presented different kinds of taste. Among them there
was also some food--the produce of the wilderness--such as ascetics liked
and took. Diverse agreeable kinds of fruit, fit to be eaten by kings,
were also there. There were Vadaras and Ingudas and Kasmaryas and
Bhallatakas. Indeed, the food that was offered contained such things as
are taken by persons leading a domestic mode of life as also such things
as are taken by denizens of the wilderness. Through fear of the Rishi's
curse, the king had caused all kinds of food to be collected and dressed
for his guest. All this food, brought from the kitchen, was placed before
Chyavana. A seat was also placed for him and a bed too was spread. The
viands were then caused to be covered with white cloths. Soon, however,
Chyavana of Bhrigu's race set fire to all the things and reduced them to
ashes. Possessed of great intelligence, the royal couple showed no wrath
at this conduct of the Rishi, who onc