Vishnupurana 2.13.p3

2.13.p3

One day he went to the river Mahānadi for the purpose of ablution. And having bathed there he engaged in after ceremonies. Whilst thus engaged there came to the same spot a doe big with young who had come out of the forest to drink of the stream. Whilst the doe was drinking there was audible a dreadful uproar of a lion capable of striking terror into all creatures. Thereupon, the doe, greatly terrified, jumped out of the water on the banks; on account of this great leap her fawn was suddenly brought forth and fell into the river. And beholding it carried away by the stream the king suddenly caught hold of the young one and saved it from being drowned. The injury which the doe had received on account of the violent exertion proved fatal. She lay down and died. Having observed this the royal ascetic took the fawn in his arms and came back to the hermitage. There he fed it and nursed it every day: and under his fostering care it throve and grew up. It frolicked about the hermitage and grazed upon the grass in its neighbourhood. And sometimes afraid of a tiger it used to come to the ascetic. In this wise the young one sometimes wandered far away in the morning and came back to the hermitage in the evening and frolicked in the leafy bower of Bharata.