tapyamānaḥ paraṁ tapaḥ
tapyamānaḥ paraṁ tapaḥ
nirvṛtiṁ mīna-rājasya
dṛṣṭvā maithuna-dharmiṇaḥ
jāta-spṛho nṛpaṁ vipraḥ
kanyām ekām ayācata
so 'py āha gṛhyatāṁ brahman
kāmaṁ kanyā svayaṁvare
Saubhari was engaged in austerity in the water of the River Yamunā, when he saw the pleasure of a big fish engaged in sexual affairs. Desire appearing in him, he went to King Māndhātā and begged for one of the King's daughters. In response to this request, the King said, "O brāhmaṇa, any of my daughters may accept any husband according to her personal selection."
‘Why did the sage Saubhari performing great austerities, marry these daughters and why did the daughters accept an old withered sage as their husband?” After seeing the fish, he came out of the water, went to Mathurā and requested King Māndhātā.
|| 9.6.41-42 ||
sa vicintyāpriyaṁ strīṇāṁ
jaraṭho 'ham asan-mataḥ
valī-palita ejat-ka
ity ahaṁ pratyudāhṛtaḥ
sādhayiṣye tathātmānaṁ
sura-strīṇām abhīpsitam
kiṁ punar manujendrāṇām
iti vyavasitaḥ prabhuḥ
Saubhari thought: I am now feeble because of old age. My hair has become grey, my skin is wrinkled, and my head always trembles. Therefore women do not like me. Thus I have been rejected. I shall reform my body in such a way as to be desirable even to celestial women, what to speak of the daughters of worldly kings. In this way the powerful Saubhari decided.
My head trembles (ejatkaḥ). I have been refused (pratyudāhṛtaḥ) by the King. Then he decided (vyavasitaḥ) to change his body.
|| 9.6.43 ||
muniḥ praveśitaḥ kṣatrā
kanyāntaḥpuram ṛddhimat
vṛtaḥ sa rāja-kanyābhir
ekaṁ pañcāśatā varaḥ
Thereafter, the messenger of the palace took him inside the residential quarters of the princesses, full of splendor. All fifty princesses then accepted him as their husband, although he was only one man.
|| 9.6.44 ||
tāsāṁ kalir abhūd bhūyāṁs
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