Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c11.18.2

v2.c11.18.2

And in his mind, Saṃvaraṇa, the king, fled to Vasiṣṭha, best of the Ṛiṣis, his foe-destroying house-priest.² As now the herdsman of men was standing at one spot day and night, the Brahmanic Ṛiṣi came to him on the twelfth day. Since the great seer with the pure soul already knew that the commander of men had been carried away by Tapaī, and had come to know this in super-mundane wise, the best of the Munis, he filled with virtue, addressed the prince that was thus fast harnessed and bridled in his thoughts, in his yearning to carry out his business. Before the eyes of the ruler of men the sublime Ṛiṣi was wafted up towards heaven, he that was gifted with the sun’s brightness, to pay his court to the sun god. Then the Brahman, laying his folded hands on his forehead, came before the thousand-beamed one, and announced himself, filled with joyful love, saying: ‘I am Vasiṣṭha.’ To the best of Munis said the light-spreader: ‘Great Ṛiṣi, welcome to thee! Speak thy wish. Whatever thou wishest from me, this thy desire, I will grant thee, even though it were hard to carry out.’ Thus addressed by him, the seer Vasisṭha answered the light-spreader, the abounding in beams, falling down, he the mighty one in penance, before him: ‘It is thy daughter, Tapatī by name, the younger sister of Sāvitrī, that I woo from thee for Saṃvaraṇa, O thou filled with brightness. For this king has high renown, knows the religious and the worldly duties, and has a noble mind;