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CHAPTER ONE Incarnation as Triprşțha (108–180)
Now, there was in this same Bharata in the city Potana a long-armed king, named Ripupratiśatru. He had a wife, Bhadrā, and she bore a son, who had been indicated by four dreams, the Balabhadra Acala. He had also a doe-eyed daughter, Mșgāvati. When she was grown, beautiful, she went to pay her respects to her father. As soon as he saw her, love was born, and he set her on his lap. After considering a way to marry her, he dismissed her.
Then the king summoned the city-elders and asked: “When a jewel is produced here, whose is it? Give your judgment.” “Yours,” they replied unanimously. When he had obtained that reply three times, the king had Mțgāvati brought there to marry. Ashamed, they all went away; and the king obtained Mțgāvati by himself by means of a gāndharvamarriage.
Queen Bhadrā, filled with shame and anger, left the king and went with Acala into the Deccan. There Acala founded a new city, Māheśvari, established his mother in it, and returned to his father. His father was called Prajāpati by all the people, because he was the husband of his own daughter. Indeed, karma is very strong.
Viśvabhūti fell from Sukra at that time and entered the womb of Mțgāvati, with a birth as a Vişņu indicated by seven dreams. At the proper time she bore a son, the first Sarngabhịt (Vāsudeva), named “Triprstha' because he had three backbones. Eighty bows tall, playing with Acala, with all the arts acquired, he gradually grew to manhood.
After Viśākhanandin's soul had passed through a birth, it was born as a lion on Mt. Tunga and attacked the district of Sankhapura. At that time King Ašvagriva, the Prativişnu, asked an astrologer,
“Whence will my death come?”
“Your slayer will be the man who will attack the messenger, Caņdavega, and who will kill with ease the lion on Mt. Tunga.”
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