Vaishampayana said: The royal son of Pandu then addressed Narada, saying,-'O holy one, I wish to hear of the birth of the child whose excreta were gold.

Thus accosted by king Yudhishthira the sage Narada began to describe to him all that had taken place about that child who passed golden excreta.

Narada said 'It is so, O you of mighty arms, as Keshava here has said, asked by you I shall now recite the remaining portion of this story.

Myself, and my sister's son, the great ascetic Parvata, once came to Srinjaya, that foremost of all victorious kings, for living with him.

Honoured duly by him who gratified every wish of ours, we lived in his palace.

After the rains had gone, and when the time for our own departure arrived, Parvata said to me these weighty words suitable to the hour.

We have, O Brahmana, lived in the house of this king for some time, highly respected by him. Think of what return we should make.

I then, O king, said to Parvata,-O nephew, it is really like you, and, O ye of great power, all this depends upon yourself.

By your boons let the king be made happy and let him obtain his wishes. Or, if you wish, let hiin be crowned with success by the power of ascetic merits of both of us.

After this, Parvata having summoned king Srinjaya, that foremost of victorious persons, said to him these words, O foremost of Kurus:प्रीतौ स्वो नृप सत्कारैर्भवदार्जवसम्भृतैः।

We have been highly gratified, O king, with your hospitality given with every sincerity. With our permission, O foremost of men, think of the boon you should pray.

Let the boon, however, be such that it may not create enmity with the gods or bring on destruction to men. Accept then, O king, a boon, for you deserved one as we think.

Hearing these words, Srinjaya replied,-If you have been pleased with me my object then has been gained, for this itself is the highest gain and the fruition of all my desires.

To Srinjaya who said so, Parvata again said, —Pray, o king, for the fruition of that wish which you are cherishing in your heart for a long time.

Srinjaya answered, I wish to have a son who will be heroic and endued with great energy, firm in his vows and of long life, highly blessed and effulgent like the king of gods.

At this, Parvata said,-This your desire will be satisfied. Your son, however shall not live long, since you wish to have such a son for prevailing over the king of the gods.

Your son shall be known by the name of Suvarnashthivin. He shall be effulgent like the king of gods, but take care to protect him always from that deity.

Hearing those words of the great Parvata, Srinjaya begged that saint for ordaining otherwise, saying,-May my son live long, O Muni, through your ascetic merit.-Parvata, however, said nothing, out of his partiality for Indra.

Seeing the king very cheerless, I said to him,-Think of me, O king, (in your distress), and I shall promise to come when thought of by you.

Do not grieve, O king. I will give you back your beloved child alive, even if he be dead.

Having said so to that king both of us left him for coming to where we wished, and Srinjaya returned to his palace.

After some time had passed, the royal sage Srinjaya had born unto him a highly powerful and energetic son.

The child grew up like a large lotus in a lake, and became Suvarnashthivin in reality as well as in name.

This wonderful fact, O best of the Kurus, soon became widely known over the world. The king of the gods also learnt of it as the outcome of Paravata's boon.

Fearing humiliation the slayer of Vala and Vritra began to watch for the loopholes in that prince.

He commanded his celestial weapon Thunder, standing before him, in embodied from saying,-Go, O powerful one, and assuming the form of a tiger kill this prince.

When grown up, this child of Srinjaya may, by his deeds humiliate me, O Thunder, as Parvata had said, thus addressed by Shakra, the celestial weapon Thunder, the subjugator of enemy's towns, began from that day to continually watch for the weak points of the prince.

Srinjaya, meanwhile, having obtained that child who was effulgent like Indra himself, became filled with joy. The king, accompanied by his wives, and the other ladies of his household, took up his quarter in the midst of a forest.

One day, on the bank of the Bhagirathi, the boy accompanied by his nurse, ran here and there in play.

Though only five years' old, his prowess, even then, resembled that of a powerful elephant. While thus playing the child met a powerful tiger that attacked him suddenly.

The infant prince trembled greatly as he was being mangled by the tiger and soon fell down dead on the Earth. Seeing in the nurse cried aloud in grief.

Having killed the prince, the tiger through Indra's powers of delusion, vanished there and then.

Hearing the cries of the nurse, the king in great anxiety ran there.

He saw his son there, his blood quaffed off and lying dead on the ground like the moon dropped from the sky.

Taking up on his lap the boy bathed in blood, and the king, with heart stricken with grief, began to lament piteously.

The queen also smitten with sorrow, and crying, quickly ran where king Srinjaya was.

In that plight the king thought of me with rapt attention. Knowing that the king was thinking of me I appeared before him.

Assailed with grief as the king was, I recounted to him all those stories, O king, that this hero of Yadu's race has already recited to you.

I restored Srinjaya's child to life with Indra's permission. That which is ordained must take place. It is impossible to make it otherwise.

After this prince Suvarnashthivin of great renown and power began to gladden the hearts of his parents.

Of great prowess, he ascended the throne of his father after the latter had died, and reigned for one thousand and one hundred years.

He worshipped the gods in many great sacrifices accompanied with profuse presents. Highly effulgent he gratified the gods and the Pitris.

Having begotten many sons all of whom by their children multiplied the race, he breathed his last, o king, after many years.

Do you, O foremost of kings, remove this grief of your heart, as Keshava has advised you, as also Vyasa of austere penances.

Rise up, O king, and carry the burden of this your ancestral kingdom, and celebrate high and great sacrifices so, that you may obtain (hereafter) whatever regions you may wish to acquire. Rise up, O king, and carry the burden of this your ancestral kingdom, and celebrate high and great sacrifices so, that you may obtain (hereafter) whatever regions you may wish to acquire.