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मान्धात्रुपाख्यान (mAndhAtrupAkhyAna)

 
Mahabharata
English
[Māndhātrupākhyāna(ṃ)]
(episode relating to Māndhātṛ.) (cf. Māndhātuḥ…upākhyānaṃ, I, 446).--§ 407 (Tīrthay.): Questioned by Yudhishṭhira, Lomaśa said: King (rājarshi, v. 10429) Yuvanāśva Saudyumni, of Ikshvāku's race, performed besides other sacrifices 1, 000 horse-sacrifices. As he had no sons, he made over the duties of the state to his ministers, and retired to the woods. Having once observed a fast, he entered the hermitage of Bhṛgu, while the great ṛshis were asleep, and drank a jar of water, which the son of Bhṛgu (maharshiḥ), after having performed severe austerities, had destined to be drunk by Yuvanāśva's queen in order that she should bear him a son, who by his bravery might send even Indra to the abode of Yama. A sacrifice was then performed for him
after 100 years a son pierced Yuvanāśva's left side (nor did Yuvanāśva die). Indra came, and put the boy's forefinger into his mouth, saying “me he shall suck” (mām ayaṃ dhāsyati, whence the boy was called Māndhātṛ). Thereby Māndhātṛ became very strong, and grew 13 cubits (kishkūn), and acquired the whole of the Vedas including the Dhanurveda by his thought alone, and on the same day he obtained the bow Ājagava and a number of shafts made of horn, and an impenetrable coat of mail. He was placed on the throne by Indra himself, and conquered the three worlds in a righteous way
the gems of their own accord came into his possession, and he performed a number of sacrifices with abundant gratuities, and sat at Indra's side. His sacrificial grounds (caityaiḥ) were to be found all over the earth, and he is said to have given away to the Brahmans 10, 000 padmas of kine. After twelve years' drought he caused rain to come down, paying no heed to Indra. He slew the Gāndhāra king of the lunar dynasty. Here, in the midst of Kurukshetra, is the spot where he sacrificed to the gods (III, 126).