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Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 9: Chapter 6: Verses 35-46
The posterity of ikswaku : the stories of Mandhata and the sage Saubhari
Although a knower of the Self, he propitiated Lord Visnu (the Deity presiding over sacrifices)- who not only represents all the gods (on His person*) but embodies all and is above sense-perceptionby means of (a naumber of) sacrifices in which liberal Daksinas(or presents of money) were given (to the Brahmanas). (As a matter of fact,) the material sacrifices). The whole extent of land from the point where the sun rises to the point where it sets is called the territory of Mandhata, the son of Yuvanaswa. The emperor (Mandhata) begot through (his queen) Bindumati, the daughter of Sasabindu, (three sons, viz.,) Purukutsa, Ambarisa and Mucukunda, (who turned out to be) a mystic. (All) the fifty sisters of these (princes) chose (the sage) Saubhari for their husband. Submerged in the water of the (holy) Yamuna and practising supreme asceticism (there), the Brahmana (Saubhari) conceived a longing for conjugal delight on seeing the happiness of a leader of fish pairing with other fish of the opposite sex, and (accordingly approached and) asked the king (Mandhata) for a girl (in marriage). The emperor too said (in reply), "Let a girl be gladly taken by you in the event of your being chosen by her of her own will, 0 holy Brahmana !" The sage (Saubhari) thought within himsel-"l have been (indirectly) refused by the emperor, thinking me to be unwelcome to women, knowing (as he does) that I am disliked by them, being old, covered with wrinkles and grey-haired with my head shaking (all the time). I shall (therefore) make myself so perfect (faultless of limbs) as to be coveted even by celestial women, much more by human princesses," Thus resolved, the powerful sage was ushered by the chamberlain into the gynaeceum set apart for the princesses, which was full of luxuries (of every description), And (lo I) that one individual was desired by (all) the fifty princesses to be their husband. (Nay,) there arose a great quarrel over him among those girls, so that casting sisterly affection to the winds, they said to one another, "He is fit for me and not for (any of) you," their heart being set on him.
The said sage Saubhari (who, being a student of Rgveda, was a master of powerful Mantras) revelled with them everyday in mansions that were equipped with invaluable appendages by his inexhaustible wealth of saceticism, and which were not only crowded with men and women (servants and maidservants) well-decked with ornaments but were also full of singing birds and bees and panegyrists-as well as on the margin of lakes of limpid water studded with beds of Kalharas and in parks of every description, using valuable beds and seats, costly wearing apparel and precious jewels and taking delight in baths, pigments, eatables and flowers.
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