tuator of Saktri's race and who was a second Saktri in
everything. O foremost of Bharatas, that best of Munis, the illustrious
Vasishtha himself performed the usual after-birth ceremonies of his
grandson. And, because the Rishi Vasishtha had resolved on
self-destruction but had abstained therefrom as soon as he knew of the
existence of that child, that child, when born, was called Parasara (the
vivifier of the dead). The virtuous Parasara, from the day of his birth,
knew Vasishtha for his father and behaved towards the Muni as such. One
day, O son of Kunti, the child addressed Vasishtha, that first of
Brahmana sages, as father, in the presence of his mother Adrisyanti.
Adrisyanti, hearing the very intelligible sound father sweetly uttered by
her son, addressed him with tearful eyes and said, 'O child, do not
address this thy grandfather as father? Thy father, O son, has been
devoured by a Rakshasa in a different forest. O innocent one, he is not
thy father whom thou regardest so. The revered one is the father of that
celebrated father of thine.' Thus addressed by his mother that best of
Rishis of truthful speech, gave way to sorrow, but soon fired up and
resolved to destroy the whole creation. Then that illustrious and great
ascetic Vasishtha, that foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma,
that son of Mitravaruna, that Rishi acquainted with positive truth,
addressed his grandson who had set his heart upon the destruction of the
world. Hear, O Arjuna, the arguments by which Vasishtha succeeded in
driving out that resolution from his grandson's mind.'

"The Gandharva continued, 'Then Vasishtha said, 'There was a celebrated
king of the name of Kritavirya. That bull among the kings of the earth
was the disciple of the Veda-knowing Bhrigus. That king, O child, after
performing the Soma sacrifice, gratified the Brahmanas with great
presents of rice and wealth. After that monarch had ascended to heaven,
an occasion came when his descendants were in want of wealth. And knowing
that the Bhrigus were rich, those princes went unto those best of
Brahmanas, in the guise of beggars. Some amongst the Bhrigus, to protect
their wealth, buried it under earth; and some from fear of the
Kshatriyas, began to give away their wealth unto (other) Brahmanas; while
some amongst them duly gave unto the Kshatriyas whatever they wanted. It
happened, however, that some Kshatriyas, in digging as they pleased at
the house of particular Bhargava,