which had been previously deposited
there. And the water was endued with the virtue that the wife of
Saudyumni would by drinking the same, bring forth a god-like son. Those
mighty saints had deposited the jar on the altar and had gone to sleep,
having been fatigued by keeping up the night. And as Saudyumni passed
them by, his palate was dry, and he was suffering greatly from thirst.
And the king was very much in need of water to drink. And he entered that
hermitage and asked for drink. And becoming fatigued, he cried in feeble
voice, proceeding from a parched throat, which resembled the weak
inarticulate utterance of a bird. And his voice reached nobody's ears.
Then the king beheld the jar filled with water. And he quickly ran
towards it, and having drunk the water, put the jar down. And as the
water was cool, and as the king had been suffering greatly from thirst,
the draught of water relieved the sagacious monarch and appeased his
thirst. Then those saints together with him of ascetic wealth, awoke from
sleep; and all of them observed that the water of the jar had gone.
Thereupon they met together and began to enquire as to who might have
done it. Then Yuvanaswa truthfully admitted that it was his act. Then the
revered son of Bhrigu spoke unto him, saying. 'It was not proper. This
water had an occult virtue infused into it, and had been placed there
with the object that a son might be born to thee. Having performed severe
austerities, I infused the virtue of my religious acts in this water,
that a son might be born to thee. O saintly king of mighty valour and
physical strength! a son would have been born to thee of exceeding
strength and valour, and strengthened by austerities, and who would have
sent by his bravery even Indra to the abode of the god of death. It was
in this manner, O king! that this water had been prepared by me. By
drinking this water, O king, thou hast done what was not at all right.
But it is impossible now for us to turn back the accident which hath
happened. Surely what thou hast done must have been the fiat of Fate.
Since thou, O great king, being a thirst hast drunk water prepared with
sacred hymns, and filled with the virtue of my religious labours, thou
must bring forth out of thy own body a son of the character described
above. To that end we shall perform a sacrifice for thee, of wonderful
effect so that, valorous as thou art, thou wilt bring forth a son equal
to Indra. Nor with thou experie