Bhishma said Listen truly in full, O son of Pritha, how, in days of yore, Vishvamitra acquired the status of a Brahmana, as also of a Brahmana Rishi!

There was O foremost of Bharata's descendants, in the family of Bharata, a king named Ajamida, who celebrated many sacrifices and was the best of all virtuous men.

His son was the great king named Jahnu. Ganga was the daughter of this great prince.

The far-fained and equally virtuous Sindhudvipa was the son of this prince. From Sindhudvipa sprang the great royal sage Valakashva.

His son was named Vallabha who was like a second Dharina incarnate. His son was Kushika who was illustrious like the thousandeyed Indra.

Kushika's son was the illustrious king Gadhi who, being childless and wishing to have a son born to him, went to the forest.

While living there, a daughter was born to him. She was called Satyavati, and she was peerless in beauty on Earth.

The illustrious son of Chyavana, known by the name of Richika, of the family of Bhrigu, gifted with austere penance's, sought the hand of this lady.

Thinking him to be poor, Gadhi, the destroyer of his enemies, did not bestow her in marriage upon the great Richika.

But when the latter, thus dismissed, was going away, the excellent king, addressing him, said If you can give me a marriage dower you will have my daughter as your wife!

Richika said What dower, O king, shall I offer you for the hand of your daughter? Tell me truly, without any hesitation whatsoever! Gadhi said, O Descendant of Bhrigu, give me a thousand horses quickcoursing as the wind, and possessing the colour of moonbeams, and each having one ear black.

Bhishma said Then that powerful son of Chyavana who was the foremost of Bhrigu's family, besought the god Varuna, the son of Aditi, who was the lord of all the waters. O best of gods, I pray to you io give me a thousand horses, all fleet like the wind and having complexion as effulgent as the moon's, but each having one ear black.

The god Varuna, the son of Aditi, said to that scion Bhrigu's race Be it so! Whenever you will seek, the horses shall come. As soon as Richika thought of them, there came from the waters of Ganga a thousand highborn horses, as effulgent as the moon.

Not far from Kanyakuvja, the sacred bank of Ganga is still famous among men as Ashvatirtha on account of the appearance of those horses.

Then Richika, that best of ascetics, pleased in mind, gave those thousand excellent horses to Gadhi as the marriage gift.

King Gadhi, stricken with wonder and fearing to be cursed, gave his daughter, adorned with jewels, to that son of Bhrigu.

That foremost of twiceborn Rishis accepted her hand in marriage according to due rites. The princes too was wellpleased at seeing herself the wife of that Brahmana.

That foremost of twiceborn Rishis, O Bharata, was well pleased with her conduct and expressed a desire to grant her a boon.

The princess, O excellent king, communicated this to her mother. The mother said to the daughter that stood before her with downcast eyes You should, O my daughter, secure a favour for me also from your husband. That sage of austere penances is competent to grant a boon to me, the boon, viz., of the birth of a son to mc.

Then, O king, returning speedily to her husband Richika, the princess described to him all that had been wished for by her mother.

By my favour, O blessed one, she will soon give birth to a son gifted with every virtue! May your request be fulfilled!

Of you too shall be born a powerful and glorious son who, gifted with virtue, shall perpetuate my race. Truly do I say this to you.

When you two shall bathe in your season, she shall embrace a pepul tree, and you, O excellent lady, shall embrace a fig tree, and by so doing you shall have the fruition of your desires.

O sweetlysmiling lady, both she and you shall have to partake of these two sacrificial offerings (charu) consecrated with hymns, and then you shall get sons.

Thereat, Satyavati, pleased at heart, told her mother all that had been said by Richika as also of the two balls of charu.

Then the mother, addressing her daughter Satyavati, said: O daughter, as I deserve greater respect from you than your husband, do you obey my words.

Do you give me the charu, duly consecrated with hymns, which your husband has given you, and yourself take, the one that has been intended for me.

O sweetlysmiling one of pure character, if you have any reverence for my word, let us change the trees respectively intended for us.

Every one wishes to possess an excellent and pure son. The illustrious Richika too must have acted from the same motive in this matter as will appear in the long run.

Therefore, O beautiful girl, my heart is bent upon your charu and tree, and you too should also try to secure an excellent brother for yourself.

The mother and the daughter Satyavati having acted thus, they both, O Yudhishthira, became big with child.

Finding his wife quick with child, that great Rishi, the descendant of Bhrigu, became pleased at heart, and addressing her, said:

O excellent lady, you have not done well in exchanging the charu as will soon be seen. It is also clear that you have changed the trees.

I had put the entire accuinulated energy of Brahma in your charu and Kshatriya energy in the charu of your mother.

I had so settled that you would give birth to a Brahmana whose virtues would be famous throughout the three worlds, and that she would give birth to an excellent Kshatriya.

But now, O excellent lady, as you have changed the order (of the charu so), your mother give birth to an excellent Brahmana, and you too, O excellent lady, will give birth to a Kshatriya of dreadful deeds. You have not done well, O lady, by doing this out of affection for your mother.

Hearing this, O king, the excellent lady Satyavati, filled with sorrow, dropped upon the ground like a beautiful creeper cut in two parts.

Regaining her senses and bowing to her lord with head (bent), the daughter of Gadhi said to her husband, that foremost one of Bhrigu's race'O twiceborn Rishi, O you who are foremost amongst those versed in Brahma, have mercy on me, your wife, who is thus appeasing you and so order that a Kshatriya son may not be born to me.

Let my grandson be such a one as will be farnous for his dreadful feats if it be your desire, but not my son, O Brahmana! Do you grant me this favour.

Be it so, said that Rishi of austere penances to his wife and then, O king, she gave birth to a blessed son named Jamadagni.

The famous wife of Gadhi too gave birth to the twiceborn Rishi Vishvamitra versed in the knowledge of Brahma, by favour of that Rishi.

The highly pious Vishvamitra, though a Kshatriya, gained the dignity of a Brahmana and became the founder of a race of Brahmanas.

His sons became great progenitors of many race of Brahmanas who were given to austere penances, learned in the Vedas, and founders of many clans.

The worshipful Madhuchchhanda and the powerful Devrat, Akshina, Shakunta, Vabhru, Kalapatha, the celebrated Yajnavalkya, Sthuna of great vows, Uluka, Mudgala, and the sage Saindhavayana, the illustrious Valgujangha and the great Rishi Galava, Ruchi, the celebrated Vajra, as also Salankayana, Liladhya, and Narada, the one known as Kurchamukha, and Vahuli Mushala as also Vakshogriva.

Anghrika, Naikadrik, Shilayupa, Shita, Suchi, Chakraka, Marutantavya, Vataghna, Ashvalayana and Shyamayana, Gargya, and Javali, as also Sushruta, Karishi, Sangshrutya, and Par Paurava, and Tantu, the great sage Kapila, Tarakayana, Upagahana, Asurayani, Margama, Hiranyaksha, Janghari, Bhavravayani, and Suti, Bibhuti, Suta, Surakrit, Arani, Nachika, Champeya, Ujjayana, Navatantu, Vakanakhs, Sayana, Vati, Ambhoruha, Amatsyhin, Shirishin, Gardhavi, Urjjayoni, Udapekshin, and the great Rishi Naradin these ascetics were all sons of Vishvamitra and were versed in the knowledge of Brahma. O king Yudhishthira, the greatly austere and pious Vishvamitra, although a Kshatriya, became a Brahmana for Richika having placed the energy of supreme Brahma (in the charu), O foremost prince of Bharata's family! I have now described to you, in full, the story of the birth of Vishvamitra who was gifted with the birth of Vishvamitra who was gifted with the energy of the sun, the moon, and the firegod.

0 best of kings, if you have any doubt about any other subject, please let me know it, so that I may remove it.