SECTION VIII

(Pauloma Parva continued)

"Sauti said, 'O Brahmana, Chyavana, the son of Bhrigu, begot a son in the
womb of his wife Sukanya. And that son was the illustrious Pramati of
resplendent energy. And Pramati begot in the womb of Ghritachi a son
called Ruru. And Ruru begot on his wife Pramadvara a son called Sunaka.
And I shall relate to you in detail, O Brahmana, the entire history of
Ruru of abundant energy. O listen to it then in full!

"Formerly there was a great Rishi called Sthulakesa possessed of ascetic
power and learning and kindly disposed towards all creatures. At that time,
O Brahmana sage, Viswavasu, the King of the Gandharvas, it is said, had
intimacy with Menaka, the celestial dancing-girl. And the Apsara, Menaka,
O thou of the Bhrigu race, when her time was come, brought forth an infant
near the hermitage of Sthulakesa. And dropping the newborn infant on the
banks of the river, O Brahmana, Menaka, the Apsara, being destitute of
pity and shame, went away. And the Rishi, Sthulakesa, of great ascetic
power, discovered the infant lying forsaken in a lonely part of the river-
side. And he perceived that it was a female child, bright as the offspring
of an Immortal and blazing, as it were, with beauty: And the great
Brahmana, Sthulakesa, the first of Munis, seeing that female child, and
filled with compassion, took it up and reared it. And the lovely child
grew up in his holy habitation, the noble-minded and blessed Rishi
Sthulakesa performing in due succession all the ceremonies beginning with
that at birth as ordained by the divine law. And because she surpassed all
of her sex in goodness, beauty, and every quality, the great Rishi called