From Puru it was taken by Amurtarya, From Amurtarya it descended to the royal Bhumisaya.  From Bhumisaya it was taken by Dushmanta’s son Bharata.  From Bharata, O monarch, it was taken by the righteous Ailavila.  From Ailavila it was taken by king Dhundumara.  From Dhundumara it was taken by Kamvoja, and from Kamvoja it was taken by Muchukunda, From Muchukunda it was taken by Marutta, and from Marutta by Raivata.  From Raivata it was taken by Yuvanaswa, and from Yuvanaswa by Raghu.  From Raghu it was taken by the valiant Harinaswa.  From Harinaswa the sword was taken by Sunaka and from Sunaka by the righteous-souled Usinara.  From the last it was taken by the Bhojas and the Yadavas.  From the Yadus it was taken by Sivi.  From Sivi it descended to Pratardana.  From Pratardana it was received by Ashtaka, and from Ashtaka by Prishadaswa.  From Prishadaswa it was received by Bharadwaja, and from the last by Drona.  After Drona it was taken by Kripa.  From Kripa that best of swords has been obtained by thee with thy brothers.  The constellation under which the sword was born is Krittika.  Agni is its deity, and Rohini is its Gotra.[482] Rudra is its high preceptor.  The sword has eight names which are not generally known.  Listen to me as I mention them to you.  If one mentions these, O son of Pandu, one may always win victory.  Those names then are Asi, Vaisasana, Khadga, sharp-edged, difficult of acquisition, Sirgarbha, victory, and protector of righteousness.  Of all weapons, O son of Madravati, the sword is the foremost.  The Puranas truly declare that it was first wielded by Mahadeva.  As regards the bow, again, O chastiser of foes, it was Prithu who first created it.  It was with the aid of this weapon that that son of Vena, while he governed the earth virtuously for many years, milked her of crops and grain in profusion.  It behoveth thee, O son of Madri, to regard what the Rishis have said, as conclusive proof.  All persons skilled in battle should worship the sword.  I have now told thee truly the first portion of thy query, in detail, about the origin and creation of the sword, O bull of Bharata’s race!  By listening to this excellent story of the origin of the sword, a man succeeds in winning fame in this world and eternal felicity in the next.’”

SECTION CLXVII

“Vaisampayana said, ’When Bhishma, after having said this, became silent, Yudhishthira (and the others) returned home.  The king addressing his brothers with Vidura forming the fifth, said, ’The course of the world rests upon Virtue, Wealth, and Desire.  Amongst these three, which is the foremost, which the second, and which the last, in point of importance?  For subduing the triple aggregate (viz., lust, wrath, and covetousness), upon which of the first three (viz., Virtue, Wealth, and Desire) should the mind be fixed?  It behoveth you all to cheerfully answer this question in words that are true.’  Thus addressed by the Kuru chief, Vidura, who was conversant with the science of Profit, with the course of the world, and with truth (that concerns the real nature of things), and possessed of great brilliancy of intellect, spoke first these words, recollecting the contents of the scriptures.’