Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c9.56

c9.56

The story above mentioned that begins Matsyaḥ Sāmmadaḥ⁶ appears to be that told in Viṣṇu iv, 2, 19 f. and Padma vi, 232, 33 f. about the rishi Saubhari. While practising long austerities he saw a fish named Sammada or Sāmamada joyous with an immense and happy family,⁷ and aroused thereby, he married the fifty daughters of Māndhātṛ, king of Ayodhyā, and maintained them in great magnificence and happiness.⁸ That is probably what the above brahmanical passage cited. What is there called an itihāsa is found in two Puranas now. I have not found the story about Tārkṣya Vaipaśyata, but it was a story about birds.⁹