or the growth of crops, paying no heed to Indra, the wielder
of the thunder-bolt, who remained staring (at him). The mighty ruler of
the Gandhara land, born in the lunar dynasty of kings, who was terrible
like a a roaring cloud, was slain by him, who wounded him sorely with his
shafts. O king! he of cultured soul protected the four orders of people,
and by him of mighty force the worlds were kept from harm, by virtue of
his austere and righteous life. This is the spot where he, lustrous like
the sun, sacrificed to the god. Look at it! here it is, in the midst of
the field of the Kurus, situated in a tract, the holiest of all. O
preceptor of earth! requested by thee, I have thus narrated to thee the
great life of Mandhata, and also the way in which he was born, which was
a birth of an extraordinary kind.'"

Vaisampayana said, "O scion of Bharata's race! Kunti's son, thus
addressed by the mighty saint, Lomasa, immediately put fresh questions to
him, with regard to Somaka."

SECTION CXXVII

Yudhishthira said, 'O best of speakers! what was the extent of power and
strength possessed by king Somaka? I am desirous of hearing an exact
account of his deeds and of his power."

"Lomasa said, 'O Yudhishthira! there was a virtuous king Somaka by name.
He had one hundred wives, O king, all suitably matched to their husband.
He took great care, but could not succeed in getting a single son from
any one of them, and a long time elapsed during which he continued a
sonless man. Once upon a time, when he had become old, and was trying
every means to have a son, a son was born to him, Jantu by name, out of
that century of women. And, O ruler of men! All the mothers used to sit
surrounding their son and every one giving him such objects as might
conduce to his enjoyment and pleasure. And it came to pass that one day
an ant stung the boy at his hip. And the boy screamed loudly on account
of the pain caused by the sting. And forthwith the mothers were
exceedingly distressed to see how the child had been stung by the ant.
And they stood around him and set up cries. Thus there arose a tumultuous
noise. And that scream of pain suddenly reached (the ears of) the
sovereign of the earth, when he was seated in the midst of his ministers,
with the family priest at his side. Then the king sent for information as
to what it was about. And the royal usher explained to him precisely what
the matter was with reference to his son. And Somaka got up