surpassed in beauty the new moon as it rests on a mass of evening clouds.
29. As was Aurva’s birth from the thigh[1], and Prithus from the hand[2], and Mândhâtri’s, who was like Indra himself, from the forehead[3], and Kakshtvat’s from the upper end of the arm[4],—thus too was his birth (miraculous).
30. Having thus in due time issued from the womb, he shone as if he had come down from heaven, he who had not been born in the natural way,—he who was born full of wisdom, not foolish,—as if his mind had been purified by countless aeons of contemplation.
31. With glory, fortitude, and beauty he shone like the young sun descended upon the earth ; when he was gazed at, though of such surpassing brightness, he attracted all eyes like the moon.
32. With the radiant splendour of his limbs he extinguished like the sun the splendour of the lamps ; with his beautiful hue as of precious gold he illuminated all the quarters of space.
33. Unflurried, with the lotus-sign in high relief[5], far-striding, set down with a stamp,—seven such firm footsteps did he then take,—he who was like the constellation of the seven rishis.
34. ‘I am born for supreme knowledge, for the welfare of the world,—thus this is my last birth,’—
- ↑ Mahâbh. I, 2610.
- ↑ Vishnu Pur. I, 13.
- ↑ According to the Mahâbh. III, l. 10450, he was born from his father’s left side, but cf. Vishnu Pur. IV, 2.
- ↑ The MSS. vary between bhugâmsa. and bhugâmsa, ; we might conjecture bhugâgradesât, but bhugâmsadesât is the only reading in V, 56. Beal I, 10 has ‘the armpit.’
- ↑ Abgasamudgatâni. Cf. Beal I, 16, note.
