with the same.  O great king! the mighty monarch is said to have given to the Brahmanas ten thousand padmas of kine.  When there was a drought, which continued for twelve consecutive years, the mighty king caused rain to come down for 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 together with his ministers and hastened towards the female apartments.  And on coming there, O subjugator of foes! he soothed his son.  And having done so and coming out from the female apartments, the king sat with his family priest and ministers.’