He continued: "There lived in their hermi- tages two eminent brahmanas, named Bharadwaja and Raibhya, who were dear friends.

Raibhya and his two sons, Paravasu and Arvavasu, learnt the Vedas and became famed scholars. Bharadwaja de voted himself wholly to the worship of God.

He had a son named Yavakrida who saw with jealousy and hatred that the brah- manas did not respect his ascetic father as they did the learned Raibhya.

Yavakrida practised hard penance to gain the grace of Indra. He tortured his body with austerities and thus awakened the compassion of Indra, who appeared and asked him why he so mortified his flesh.

Yavakrida replied: "I wish to be more learned in the Vedas than any has ever been before. I wish to be a great scholar. I am performing these austerities to realise that desire.