Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.314

v1.c5.314

A thousand fiery white steeds, each with one black ear¹ is the purchase price. Know this, O best of the Brahmans. And yet I may not say to thee, the holy one: ‘Give,’ O offspring of Bhṛigu. Yet must I give my daughter to a noble-natured one like thee.” Ṛicīka promised him the steeds, and got them from Varuṇa, who made them to come up out of the water. The place where it happened is the famous horse-tīrtha on the Gaṅgā in Kanyākubja. The holy man delivered over the precious race-horses to the father, who gave him his daughter in marriage, and the gods themselves were groomsmen. All this was done dharmaṇa (according to the law).² These thousand wonderful horses were then given by Gādhi to the priests, and six hundred of them play a great part in the tale of Gālava and Mādhavī, which also belongs here, and has already been given.