again." Having conferred this boon on Dhanwantari Vishnu disappeared again (21). Thereupon when the second Dwāpara Yuga set in Sunohotra’s son Dirghatapā, the king of Kashi, desirous of having a son, began carrying on hard austerities affording delight to his worshipful deity saying (22)—"I shall lay myself under the protection of that god who will confer on me a son." That king worshipped the deity Avja for a son (23). Thereupon that Divine lord, being pleased with the king, said to him "O you of good vows, I shall grant you any boon that you may choose to have" (24). The king said "O lord, if thou art pleased be born unto me as my illustrious son." Then saying "Let it be so" he disappeared therefrom (25). The deity Dhanwantari was then born in his house. He became the king of Kāshi who could destroy all diseases (26). Having acquired the kowledge of Ayurveda from Bharadwāja he divided the work of the physicians into eight classes and then conferred it upon his disciples (27). Dhanwantari’s son was known by the name of Ketumān whose son was the heroic Bhimaratha (28). His son was the king Divodāsa. The pious-souled Divodāsa became the king of Bārānashi (29). O king, at this time the Rakshasa Kshemaka, an attendant of Rudra, made the city of Bārānashi divested of its inhabitants (30). The intelligent and high-souled Nikumbha uttered a curse against Bārānashi saying, "Thou shalt forsooth have none to live in thee for one thousand years" (31). As soon as this curse was pronounced against Bārānashi the king Divodāsa laid out his charming capital on the bank of Gomati (near Bārānashi) (32). Formerly Bārānashi belonged to Bhadrashenya, son of Mahishmān, of the Yadu race. Having slain the hundred sons of Bhadrasenya who were all most excellent bowmen Divodāsa acquired that city. Thus Bhadrasenya was deprived forcibly of his kingdom by the (king Divodāsa) (33–34). Janamejaya said:—Why did the powerful Nikumbha imprecate a curse on Bārānasi? Who is the virtuous Nikumbha who pronounced a curse on that holy land (25)? Vaishampāyana said:—Having acquired that prosperous city the highly powerful emperor, the royal saint Divodāsa began to live there (36). At this time, having accepted a gift the lord Siva was living at his father-in-law’s residence for pleasing the goddess (his wife Durgā) (37). At the command of the god (Siva) the great saints Pārshadas, born in a respectable family, in this above mentioned form and dress, were propitiating Pārvati (38). The great goddess Pārvati was highly pleased thereby but not so was Menakā. She began continually villifying that god and goddess (39). She said to Pārvati:—"Your husband Maheswara is always doing vile things in the company of Pārshadas. He is always poor and his character is not good" (40).