O Bhārata, you are the eldest and most noble of our lineage. Just as you have always obeyed your father’s commands, I now ask you, pure-hearted one, to fulfill my request as well. My son—your younger brother, whom you loved so dearly—has departed this world for heaven while still a child. Here before you are the two wives of the son of the king of Kāshi: young, beautiful, and longing for children. For the sake of our family’s continuation, you must do what is right. This is the highest dharma, and you must act as I instruct for the sake of righteousness, so that our line does not end. Bhishma replied, “Mother, you have spoken of the highest dharma, and I do not doubt your words. But you also know the vow that binds me. For the sake of immortality, or even for the sovereignty of the three worlds, I would give up my life, but never would I abandon truth, under any circumstance. “I know you to be righteous, steadfast in truth and valor. If you wished, you could create the three worlds yourself, O best of queens. You must act so that our lineage and dharma do not perish, and so that our friends are gladdened. You alone are the elder of our house, and the highest honor rests with you. Please declare what should be done for the continuation of our family. “Women, after all, hold the deepest secrets of the family, and with their many arts, they influence men. O Satyavati, consider dharma and remain devoted to truth, so that I do not have to abandon my vow, and our lineage does not perish.” Then Satyavati, with words touched by modesty and a gentle smile, spoke to Bhishma: “What you say is true, O mighty-armed Bhārata. Trusting you, I will speak for the sake of our family. There are certain dharmas, especially in times of distress, that cannot be spoken openly to you. You alone are the embodiment of dharma in our family; you are truth itself, our supreme refuge. Whatever you say, I will do—this is my resolve. Therefore, listen to my words, which are joined with dharma and benefit. “You should not reveal what is entrusted to you in confidence. But you have heard of King Vasu, have you not? Once, I was carried in my mother’s womb as a fish, and my mother was taken from the water by a fisherman, a supremely righteous man. He brought me to his house and raised me as his daughter; thus, by dharma, he became my father. “In my youth, for the sake of dharma, my father, who was righteous, had a boat. One day, I went there in the prime of my youth. At that time, the great sage Parashara, foremost among those who know dharma, came to the boat, wishing to cross the Yamunā river. As I ferried him across, he approached me and spoke sweet, gentle words, moved by desire. He told me of my birth and lineage, saying, ‘You are not the daughter of a fisherman.’ “Afraid of a curse and fearful of my father, O Bhārata, I could not refuse him, though he asked for difficult boons. I saw other illustrious sages standing on the far shore, shining like blazing fires along the banks of the Yamunā. Before us, the young sun shone forth, dyeing the sky in red garments, making it seem fully expanded. “As I spoke, the mighty sage Parashara, steadfast in truth, created a mist upon the island in the middle of the Yamunā. With his great energy, he overpowered me, a young girl, and brought me under his control, covering the world in darkness, as if I were a boat upon the river. “I once had a strong fishy odor, which I found repulsive. But the sage removed it and gave me this pleasant fragrance. Then, after I had conceived his child, he told me, ‘On this very island, you shall remain a maiden.’ Gladly, the wise ascetic granted me perpetual maidenhood. Seeing the power of that great soul, I was both amazed and troubled. “In my astonishment and distress, I surrendered to his will. Then, delighted, that great sage begot a son in me on the island—Parashara’s son. That child became a great yogi and a mighty sage. My son, born of a maiden, is known as Dvaipayana. That blessed sage, through his austerity, divided the four Vedas and became known to the world as Vyāsa. Because of his dark complexion, he was also called Krishna. “Truthful, self-controlled, ascetic, and pure, he was born instantly and then departed with his father. Both you and I, O Bhishma of unmatched splendor, appointed him to raise good offspring in the fields of your brother. “He told me, ‘Remember me in times of hardship.’ Now, if you wish, O mighty-armed Bhishma, I will remember him. With your consent, that great ascetic will surely beget sons in the fields of Vichitravirya. “At the mention of that great sage, Bhishma joined his palms and said, ‘You know the proper place and time. Let it be done for the fulfillment of our purpose.’ “For purpose and its connection to other purposes, for righteousness and its relation to righteousness, for desire and its relation to desire, and for their opposites—each must be considered separately. He who reflects with intelligence and decides with resolve is truly wise. This act, bound to righteousness and beneficial to our family, brings me great joy. What you have spoken for our welfare pleases me immensely.