And, by their grace, shall thou also
obtain children.' Thus addressed, the girl (a little while after), seized
with curiosity, summoned, during the period of her maiden-hood, the god
Surya. And the lord of light thereupon made her conceive and begot on her
a son who became the first of all wielders of weapons. From fear of
relatives she brought forth in secrecy that child who had come out with
ear-rings and coat of mail. And he was gifted with the beauty of a
celestial infant, and in splendour was like unto the maker of day himself.
And every part of his body was symmetrical and well-adorned. And Kunti
cast the handsome child into the water. But the child thus thrown into the
water was taken up by the excellent husband of Radha and given by him to
his wife to be adopted by her as their son. And the couple gave him the
name of Vasusena, by which appellation the child soon became known all
over the land. And, as he grew up, he became very strong and excelled in
all weapons. The first of all successful persons, he soon mastered the
sciences. And when the intelligent one having truth for his strength
recited the Vedas, there was nothing he would not then give to the
Brahmanas. At that time Indra, the originator of all things, moved by the
desire of benefiting his own son Arjuna, assumed the guise of a Brahmana,
came to him, and begged of the hero his ear-rings and natural armour. And
the hero taking off his ear-rings and armour gave them unto the Brahmana.
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