'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'After this, Pandu addressed Kunti in private,
saying, 'O Kunti, grant me some more offspring for the expansion of my
race and for the benefit of the world. O blessed one, provide thou that I
myself, my ancestors, and thine also, may always have the funeral cake
offered to us. O, do what is beneficial to me, and grant me and the world
what, indeed, is the best of benefits. O, do what, indeed, may be
difficult for thee, moved by the desire of achieving undying fame. Behold,
Indra, even though he hath obtained the sovereignty of the celestials,
doth yet, for fame alone, perform sacrifices. O handsome one, Brahmanas,
well-acquainted with the Vedas, and having achieved high ascetic merit, do
yet, for fame alone, approach their spiritual masters with reverence. So
also all royal sages and Brahmanas possessed of ascetic wealth have
achieved, for fame only, the most difficult of ascetic feat. Therefore, O
blameless one, rescue this Madri as by a raft (by granting her the means
of obtaining offspring), and achieve thou imperishable fame by making her
a mother of children.'
"Thus addressed by her lord, Kunti readily yielded, and said unto Madri,
'Think thou, without loss of time, of some celestial, and thou shall
certainly obtain from him a child like unto him.' Reflecting for a few
moments. Madri thought of the twin Aswins, who coming unto her with speed
begat upon her two sons that were twins named Nakula and Sahadeva,
unrivalled on earth for personal beauty.
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