nances. O
lord of celestials! know that if thou do not fulfil all my desires, I
shall then cut off my limbs and offer them as a sacrifice into a blazing
fire."'

"Lomasa said, 'Knowing the determination of that high-souled sage, the
sagacious Indra reflected and hit upon some expedient to dissuade him.
Then Indra assumed the guise of an ascetic Brahmana, hundreds of years
old, and infirm, and suffering from consumption. And he fell to throwing
up a dam with sands, at that spot of the Bhagirathi to which Yavakri
used to descend for performing ablutions. Because Yavakri, chief of the
Brahmanas, paid no heed to Indra's words, the latter began to fill the
Ganga with sands. And without cessation, he threw handfuls of sand into
the Bhagirathi, and began to construct the dam attracting the notice of
the sage. And when that bull among the sages, Yavakri, saw Indra thus
earnestly engaged in constructing the dam, he broke into laughter, and
said the following words, "What art thou engaged in, O Brahmana, and
what is thy object? Why dost thou, for nothing, make this mighty
endeavour?" Indra said, "I am trying, O my son, to dam the Ganga so that
there may be a commodious passage. People experience considerable
difficulty in crossing and recrossing (the river) by boat." Yavakri
said, "O thou of ascetic wealth, thou canst not dam up this mighty
current. O Brahmana, desist from, what is impracticable, and take up
something that is practicable." Indra said, "O sage, I have imposed on
myself this heavy task, even as, for obtaining a knowledge of the Vedas,
thou hast begun these penances, which can never be fruitful." Yavakri
said, "If, O chief of the celestials, those efforts of mine be
fruitless, even as those of thy own, then, O lord of heavenly hosts, be
thou pleased to do for me what is practicable. Vouchsafe unto me boons
whereby I may excel other men."'

"Lomasa said 'Then Indra granted boons, as was prayed for by the mighty
ascetic, Indra said, "As thou desirest, the Vedas will be manifest unto
thee, yea--even unto thy father. And all thy other desires will also be
fulfilled. Return home, O Yavakri."

"'Having thus obtained the object of his desire, Yavakri came unto his
father and said, "The Vedas, O father, will be manifest unto thee as
well as unto myself and I have obtained boons whereby we shall excel all
men." Thereat Bharadwaja said, "O my son, as thou hast obtained the
objects of thy desire, thou wilt be proud. And whe