SECTION CXV
"Narada said, 'Thus addressed by Suparna in excellent words fraught with
truth, that performer of thousand sacrifices, that foremost of givers,
that liberal ruler of all the Kasis, the lord Yayati, revolving those
words in his mind and reflecting on them coolly, and seeing before him
his dear friend, Tarkshya, and that bull among Brahmanas, Galava, and
regarding the alms sought as an indication, highly praiseworthy, of
(Galava's) ascetic merit, and in view particularly of the fact that those
two came to him having passed over all the kings of the Solar race, said,
'Blessed is my life today, and the race also in which I am born, hath,
indeed, been blessed today. This very province also of mine hath equally
been blessed by thee, O sinless Tarkshya. There is one thing, however, O
friend, that I desire to say unto thee, and that is, I am not so rich now
as you thinkest, for my wealth hath suffered a great diminution. I
cannot, however, O ranger of the skies, make your advent here a fruitless
one. Nor can I venture to frustrate the hopes entertained by this
regenerate Rishi. I shall, therefore, give him that which will accomplish
his purpose. If one having come for alms, returneth disappointed, he may
consume the (host's) race. O son of Vinata, it is said that there is no
act more sinful than that of saying, 'I have nothing'--and thus
destroying the hope of one that cometh, saying, 'Give.' The disappointed
man whose hopes have been killed and his object not accomplished, can
destroy the sons and grandsons of the person that faileth to do him good.
Therefore, O Galava, take you this daughter of mine, this perpetrator of
four families. In beauty, she resembleth a daughter of the celestials.
She is capable of prompting every virtue. Indeed, owing to her beauty,
she is always solicited (at my hands) by gods and men, and Asuras. Let
alone twice four hundred steeds each with a black ear, the kings of the
earth will give away their whole kingdoms as her dower. Take thou,
therefore, this daughter of mine, named Madhavi. My sole desire is that I
may have a daughter's son by her. Accepting that daughter in gift, Galava
then, with Garuda, went away, saying, 'We will again see thee'. And they
took that maiden with them. And Galava's oviparous friend addressed him,
saying, 'The means have at last been obtained whereby the steeds may be
obtained.' And saying this, Garuda went away to his own abode, having
obtained Galava's permission. And after the prince of birds had gone,
Galava, with that maiden in his company, began to think of going to some
one among the kings who would be able to give (fit) dower for the maiden.
And he first thought of that best of kings, Haryyaswa of Ikshaku's race,
who ruled at Ayodhya, was endued with great energy, possessed of a large
army consisting of four kinds of forces, had a well-filled treasury and
abundance of corn, and who was dearly loved by his subjects, and who
loved the Brahmanas well. Desirous of offspring, he was living in quiet
and peace, and engaged in excellent austerities. And the Brahmana Galava,
repairing unto Haryyaswa, said, 'This maiden, O king of kings, will
increase the family of her husband by bringing forth offspring. Accept
her from me, O Haryyaswa, as your wife, by giving me a dower. I will tell
thee what dower you shalt have to give. Hearing it, settle what thou
shalt do.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 115 ---------------------
