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20.THE SLAYING OF JARASANDHA
BRIHADRATHA, the commander of
three regiments, reigned in the kingdom of
Magadha and attained celebrity as a great
hero. He married the twin daughters of the
raja of Kasi and vowed to them that he
would not show any partiality to either.
Brihadratha was not blessed with a child
for a long time. When he became old, he
handed over his kingdom to his ministers,
went to the forest with his two wives and
engaged himself in austerities.
He went to Sage Kausika of the Gautama
family, with a sorrowful longing for
children in his heart. And when the sage
was moved with pity and asked him what
he wanted, he answered:
"I am childless and have come to the
forest giving up my kingdom. Give me
children."
The sage was filled with compassion and,
even as he was thinking how to help the
king, a mango fruit fell into his lap. He
took it and gave it to the king with this
blessing: "Take it. Your wish will be
fulfilled."
The king cut the fruit into two halves and
gave one to each wife. He did so to keep
his vow not to show partiality to either.
Some time after they had partaken of the
fruit, the wives became pregnant.
The delivery took place in due course. But
instead of bringing the expected joy, it
plunged them into greater grief than
before. For they each gave birth to but a
half of a child. Each half was a monstrous
birth which seemed a revolting lump.
They were indeed two equal and
complementary portions of one baby,
consisting of one eye, one leg, half a face,
one ear and so on. Seized with grief, they
commanded their attendants to tie the
gruesome pieces in a cloth and cast them
away.
The attendants did as they were instructed
and threw the cloth bundle on a heap of
refuse in the street. A cannibal Rakshasi
chanced upon that place. She was elated at
seeing the two pieces of flesh and, as she
gathered them up both at once, accidently
the halves came together the right way.
And they at once adhered together and
changed into a whole living child, perfect
in every detail.
The surprised Rakshasi did not wish to
kill the child. She took on the guise of a
beautiful woman and, going to the king,
presented the child to him saying: "This is
your child.
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