Verse 42

³⁷With the brahmins' leave the king, large-minded, took the food in his cupped hands, smelled it, and gave it gladly to his wife. ³⁸The queen, who had borne no child, ate that food which brings a male child, received her husband's seed, and when the time came round she bore a boy. ³⁹Even as a boy he took after his mother's father, Death, who came of a portion of Unright; and so he grew up with no dharma in him. ⁴⁰He took up his bow and went hunting in the woods, and the wretch would kill helpless deer, and people would cry out, There goes Vena. ⁴¹He was very hard and had no pity: boys of his own age at play in the playground he would seize and kill the way beasts are killed.

⁴²Seeing what a vicious son he had, and unable to school him by punishments of any kind, the king grew very heavy-hearted.