n
this maiden have been begotten three virtuous sons by three royal sages.
Let a fourth, foremost of all, be begotten upon her by thee. And thus let
the number of steeds, eight hundred, be regarded by thee as full, and let
me also, being freed from thy debt, go and practise ascetic penances as I
list." Viswamitra then, beholding Galava in the company of the bird, and
that highly beautiful maiden, said, "Why, O Galava, didst thou not give
me this maiden before? Four sons then, sanctifiers of my race, would all
have been mine alone. I accept this maiden of thine for begetting upon
her one son. As regards the steeds, let them graze in my asylum." Saying
this, Viswamitra of great effulgence began to pass his time happily with
her. And Madhavi bore him a son of the name of Ashtaka. And as soon as
that son was born, the great Muni Viswamitra addressed him to both virtue
and profit, and gave him those six hundred steeds. Ashtaka then went to a
city, bright as the city of Soma. And Kusika's son Viswamitra also having
made over the damsel to his disciple, himself went into the woods. And
Galava also, with his friend Suparna, having in this way succeeded in
giving his preceptor the fee he had demanded, with a cheerful heart
addressed that maiden and said, "Thou hast borne a son who is exceedingly
charitable, and another who is exceedingly brave, and a third who is
devoted to truth and righteousness, and yet another who is a performer of
great sacrifices. O beautiful maiden, thou hast, by these sons, saved not
only thy father, but four kings and myself, also. Go now, O thou of
slender waist." Saying this, Galava dismissed Garuda that devourer of
snakes, and returning the maiden unto her father himself went into the
woods.'"

SECTION CXX

"Narada said, 'King Yayati then, desirous again of disposing of his
daughter in Swayamvara, went to a hermitage on the confluence of the
Ganga and the Yamuna, taking Madhavi with him on a chariot, her person
decked with garlands of flowers. And both Puru and Yadu followed their
sister to that sacred asylum. And in that spot was assembled a vast
concourse of Nagas and Yakshas and human beings, of Gandharvas and
animals and birds, and of dwellers of mountains and trees and forests,
and of many inhabitants of that particular province. And the woods all
around that asylum were filled with numerous Rishis resembling Brahman
himself. And while the selection had commenced of husband, that maiden of