daughter of this high-minded prince. The farfamed and equally virtuous
Sindhudwipa was the son of this prince. From Sindhudwipa sprung the great
royal sage Valakaswa. His son was named Vallabha who was like a second
Dharma in embodied form. His son again was Kusika who was refulgent with
glory like unto the thousand-eyed Indra. Kusika's son was the illustrious
King Gadhi who, being childless and desiring to have a son born unto him,
repaired to the forest. Whilst living there, a daughter was born unto
him. She was called Satyavati by name, and in beauty of appearance she
had no equal on Earth. The illustrious son of Chyavana, celebrated by the
name of Richika, of the race of Bhrigu, endued with austere penances,
sought the hand of this lady. Gadhi, the destroyer of his enemies,
thinking him to be poor, did not bestow her in marriage upon the
high-souled Richika. But when the latter, thus dismissed, was going away,
the excellent king, addressing him said,--'If thou givest me a marriage
dower thou shalt have my daughter for thy wife.'

"Richika said, 'What dower, O king, shall I offer thee for the hand of
thy daughter? Tell me truly, without feeling any hesitation in the
matter. Gadhi said,--'O descendant of Bhrigu, do thou give me a thousand
horses fleet as the wind, and possessing the hue of moon-beams, and each
having one ear black.'

"Bhishma said, 'Then that mighty son of Chyavana who was the foremost of
Bhrigu's race, besought the deity Varuna, the son of Aditi, who was the
lord of all the waters.--O best of gods, I pray to thee to give me a
thousand horses, all endued with the speed of the wind and with
complexion as effulgent as the moon's, but each having one ear black. The
god Varuna, the son of Aditi, said to that excellent scion of Bhrigu's
race,--Be it so. Wheresoever thou shalt seek, the horses shalt arise (in
thy presence).--As soon as Richika thought of them, there arose from the