hadst, O Rishi, granted me
the boon that I should have a hundred sons, but here is only a ball of
flesh for those hundred sons!' Vyasa then said, 'Daughter of Suvala, it
is even so. But my words can never be futile. I have not spoken an
untruth even in jest. I need not speak of other occasions. Let a hundred
pots full of clarified butter be brought instantly, and let them be
placed at a concealed spot. In the meantime, let cool water be sprinkled
over this ball of flesh.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'That ball of flesh then, sprinkled over with
water, became, in time, divided into a hundred and one parts, each about
the size of the thumb. These were then put into those pots full of
clarified butter that had been placed at a concealed spot and were
watched with care. The illustrious Vyasa then said unto the daughter of
Suvala that she should open the covers of the pots after full two years.
And having said this and made these arrangements, the wise Dwaipayana
went to the Himavat mountains for devoting himself to asceticism.

"Then in time, king Duryodhana was born from among those pieces of the
ball of flesh that had been deposited in those pots. According to the
order of birth, king Yudhishthira was the oldest. The news of
Duryodhana's birth was carried to Bhishma and the wise Vidura. The day
that the haughty Duryodhana was born was also the birth-day of Bhima of
mighty arms and great prowess.

"As soon as Duryodhana was born, he began to cry and bray like an ass.
And hearing that sound, the asses, vultures, jackals and crows uttered
their respective cries responsively. Violent winds began to blow, and
there were fires in various directions. Then king Dhritarashtra in great
fear, summoning Bhishma and Vidura and other well-wishers and all the
Kurus, and numberless Brahmanas, addressed them and said, 'The oldest of
those princes, Yudhishthira, is the perpetuator of our line. By virtue of
his birth he hath acquired the kingdom. We have nothing to say to this.
But shall this my son born after him become king? Tell me truly what is
lawful and right under these circumstances.' As soon as these words were
spoken, O Bharata, jackals and other carnivorous animals began to howl
ominously And marking those frightful omens all around, the assembled
Brahmanas and the wise Vidura replied, 'O king, O bull among men, when
these frightful omens are noticeable at the birth of thy eldest son, it
is evident that he shall be the extermina