“Yudhishthira said, ’O saint, whose sole wealth consists in religious practices!  Tell me for what reason, Sagara, the foremost of kings, abandoned his own begotten son, endued with valour—­an act so difficult (for all other men).”

“Lomasa said, ’A son was born to Sagara, known by the name of Asamanjas, he who was given birth to by the princess of Sivi.  And he used to seize by throat the feeble children of the townsmen, and threw them while screaming into the river.  And thereupon the townsmen, overwhelmed with terror and grief, met together, and all standing with joined palms, besought Sagara in the following way, ’O great king!  Thou art our protector from the dreaded peril of attack from a hostile force.  Therefore it is proper for thee to deliver us from the frightful danger, proceeding from Asamanjas.’  And the most righteous of the rulers of men, having heard this frightful news from his subjects, for nearly an hour remained sad and then spake to his ministers, saying, ’This day from the city let my son Asamanjas be driven forth.  If ye wish to do what will be acceptable to me, let this be quickly done.  ’And, O protector of men! those same ministers, thus addressed by the king, performed in a hurry exactly what the king had commanded them to do.  Thus have I narrated to thee how the magnanimous Sagara banished his son, with a view to the welfare of the residents of the town.  I shall now fully narrate to thee what Ansuman of the powerful bow was told by Sagara.  Listen to me!

“Sagara said, ’O my boy! sore am I at heart for having abandoned thy father, on account of the death of my sons, and also on being unsuccessful in getting back the horse.  Therefore, O grandson! harassed with grief and confounded with the obstruction to my religious rites as I am, thou must bring back the horse and deliver me from hell.’  Thus addressed by the magnanimous Sagara, Ansuman went with sorrow to that spot where the earth had been excavated.  And by that very passage he entered into the sea, and beheld that illustrious Kapila and that same horse.  And having beheld that ancient saint, most righteous of his order, looking like a mass of light, he bowed with his head to the ground, and informed him of the reason of his visit.  Then, O great king, Kapila was pleased with Ansuman, and that saint of a virtuous soul told him to ask for a favour from him.  And he in the first place prayed for the horse, for the purpose of using it in the sacrifice; in the second place he prayed for the purification of his fathers.  Then the mighty chief of saints, Kapila spake to him, saying, ’I shall grant thee everything that thou desirest, O stainless (prince).  May good luck be thine!  In thee are fixed (the virtues of) forbearance, and truth, and righteousness.  By thee hath Sagara had all his desires fulfilled.  Thou are (really) a son to thy father.  And by thy ability the sons of Sagara will go to heaven (i.e., will be delivered from the consequences of their unhallowed