ततो महीधरं जग्मुर्धर्मज्ञेनाभिसत्कृतम्। राजर्षिणा पुण्यकृता गयेनानुपमद्युते
Afterwards, they went to the sacred mountain, honored by the righteous king Gaya, whose splendor was unmatched.
नगो गयशिरो यत्र पुण्या चैव महानदी। वानीरमालिनी रम्या नदी पुलिनशोभिता
There is the mountain called Gayashirsha and the holy great river, the delightful Vanirama, adorned with lovely sandbanks.
दिव्यं पवित्रकूटं च पवित्रधरणीधरम्। ऋषिजुष्टं सुपुण्यं तत्तीर्थं ब्रह्मसरोतुलम्
There is the divine, pure summit, the sacred mountain, frequented by sages, supremely holy, that ford equal to the lake of Brahma.
अगस्त्यो भगवान्यत्र गतो वैवस्वतं प्रति। रउवास च स्वयं तत्र धर्मराजः सनातनः
There the venerable Agastya once went to meet Vaivasvata, and there the eternal king of righteousness himself resided.
सर्वासां सरितां चैव समुद्भेदो विशांपते। यत्रसंनिहितो नित्यं महादेवः पिनाकधृक्
O lord of men, there is the source of all rivers, where the great god Mahadeva, the bearer of the Pinaka, is ever present.
परिपूर्णः परंज्योतिः परमात्मा सनातनः। ब्रह्मादिभिरुपास्योऽयं भगवान्परमेश्वरः
He is complete, the supreme light, the eternal supreme soul, worshipped by Brahma and the others—this blessed supreme lord.
तं प्रणम्य महादेवं चतुर्वर्गफलप्रदम्। रसिद्धिक्षेत्रमिदं मत्वासर्वेषांमोक्षकाङ्क्षिणाम्
Having bowed to that great god, the bestower of the fruits of the four aims of life, considering this the field of success for all who seek liberation—
तत्र ते पाण्डवा वीराश्चातुर्मास्यैस्तदेजिरे। ऋषियज्ञेन महता यत्राक्षयवटो महान्। अक्षये देवयजने अक्षयं यत्रवै फलम्
There those heroic Pandavas performed the great four-month sacrifice, with a mighty offering to the sages, where the imperishable banyan stands, where the sacrifice to the gods is inexhaustible, and the reward is truly inexhaustible.
ये तु तत्रोपवासांस्तु चक्रुर्निश्चितमानसाः। ब्राह्मणास्तत्रशतशः समाजग्मुस्तपोधनाः
But those Brahmanas who undertook the fasts there with determined minds, hundreds of ascetics gathered at that place.
चातुर्मास्येनायजन्त आर्षेण विधिना तदा। तत्र विद्यातपोवृद्धा ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः। कथां प्रचक्रिरे पुण्यां सदसिस्था महात्मनाम्
At that time, they performed the Cāturmāsya sacrifice according to the ancient rule; there, Brahmanas advanced in knowledge and austerity, accomplished in the Vedas, recited sacred stories of the great souls while seated in the assembly.
तत्र विद्याव्रतस्नातः कौमारं व्रतमास्थितः। शमठोऽकथयद्राजन्नाधूर्तरजसं गयम्
There, one who had bathed after completing his vow of study, who had undertaken the vow from youth, Śamaṭha by name, O King, narrated the account of Gayā, son of Ādhūrtarajas.
आधूर्तरजसः पुत्रो गयो राजर्षिसत्तमः। पुण्यानि तस्य कर्माणि तानि मे शृणु भारत
Gayā, the best among royal sages, was the son of Ādhūrtarajas; listen to his meritorious deeds, O Bhārata.
यस्य यज्ञो बभूवेह बह्वन्नो बहुदक्षिणः। यत्रान्नपर्वता राजञ्शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
His sacrifice here was abundant in food and rich in gifts; there, O King, mountains of food, by the hundreds and thousands, were present.
घृतकुल्याश्च दध्नश्च नद्यो बहुशतास्तथा। व्यञ्जनानां प्रवाहाश्च महार्हाणां सहस्रशः
There were hundreds of rivers of ghee and curds, and thousands of streams of costly delicacies.
अहन्यहनि चाप्येवं याचतां संप्रदीयते। अन्ये च ब्राह्मणा राजन्भुञ्जतेऽन्नं सुसंस्कृतम्
Day after day, food was thus given to those who asked; and other Brahmanas, O King, ate well-prepared food.
तत्र वै दक्षिणाकाले ब्रह्मघोषो दिवं गतः। न च प्रज्ञायते किंचिद्ब्रह्मशब्देन भारत
At the time of the gifts, the sound of Vedic recitation rose to the heavens; nothing else could be heard but the voice of the Veda, O Bhārata.
पुण्येन चरता राजन्भूर्दिशः खं नभस्तथा। आपूर्णमासीच्छब्देन तदप्यासीन्महाद्भुतम्
As the pious king moved about, the quarters, the sky, and the firmament were filled with the sound of the full-moon sacrifice; that too was a great marvel.
यत्रस्म गाथा गायन्ति मनुष्या मरतर्षभ। अन्नपानैः शुभैस्तृप्ता देशे देशे सुवर्चसः
There, O bull among men, people sang songs, satisfied with excellent food and drink, shining in every region.
गयस्य यज्ञे के त्वद्य प्राणिनो भोक्तुमीप्सवः। तत्र भोजनशिष्टस्य पर्वताः पञ्चविंशतिः
Who among living beings today would wish to eat at Gayā's sacrifice? There, twenty-five mountains of leftover food remained.
न तत्पूर्वे जनाश्चक्रुर्न करिष्यन्ति चापरे। गयो यदकरोद्यज्ञे राजर्षिरमितद्युतिः
What was done by Gayā, the royal sage of immeasurable splendor, in his sacrifice, was never done by those before nor will be done by those after.
कथं तु देवा हविषा गयेन परितर्पिताः। पुन शक्ष्यन्त्युपादातुमन्यैर्दत्तानि कानिचित्
How could the gods, having been fully satisfied with Gayā's offerings, ever again be satisfied by anything given by others?
सिकता वा यथा लोके यथा वा दिवि तारकाः। यथा वा वर्षतोधारा असंख्येयाः स्म केनचित्। तथा गणयितुं शक्या गययज्ञे न दक्षिणाः
Just as sand on earth, or stars in the sky, or the countless drops of rain—so too, the gifts at Gayā's sacrifice cannot be counted by anyone.
एवंविधाः सुबहवस्तस्य यज्ञा महीपतेः। बभूवुरस्य सरसः समीपे कुरुनन्दन
Such were the many great sacrifices of that king, O delight of the Kurus, which took place near the lake.
ततः संप्रस्थितो राजा कौन्तेयो भूरिदक्षिणः। अगस्त्याश्रममासाद्य दुर्जयायामुवास ह
Then the king, son of Kunti, generous in gifts, set out and, reaching Agastya's hermitage at Durjayā, stayed there.
तत्रैव लोमशं राजा पप्रच्छ वदतांवरः। अगस्त्येनेह वातापिः किमर्थमुपशामितः
There, the king, foremost among speakers, asked Lomaśa: 'For what reason was Vātāpi subdued here by Agastya?'
आसीद्वा किंप्रभावश्च स दैत्यो मानवान्तकः। किमर्थं चोदितो मन्युरगस्त्यस्य महात्मनः
'Who was that demon, what was his power, and why did he destroy men? For what reason was the great-souled Agastya's anger aroused?'
इल्वलो नाम दैतेय आसीत्कौरवनन्दना। मणिमत्यां पुरि पुरा वातापिस्तस्य चानुजः
O joy of the Kurus, there was once a Daitya named Ilvala, who long ago dwelled in the city of Manimati; his younger brother was Vātāpi.
स ब्राह्मणं तपोयुक्तमुवाच दितिनन्दनः। पुत्रं मे भगवानेकमिन्द्रतुल्यं प्रयच्छतु
That son of Diti, endowed with austerity, approached a Brahmin and said: 'O venerable one, grant me a son equal to Indra.'
तस्मै स ब्राह्मणो नादात्पुत्रं वासवसंमितम्। चुक्रोध सोऽसुरस्तस्य ब्राह्मणस्य ततो भृशम्
But the Brahmin did not grant him a son equal to Vāsava; then that Asura became exceedingly angry with the Brahmin.
तदाप्रभृतिराजेन्द्र इल्वलो ब्रह्महाऽसुरः। मन्युमान्भ्रातरं छागं मायावी ह्यकरोत्ततः
From that time on, O king, Ilvala, the Asura who had slain a Brahmin, filled with wrath, made his brother—skilled in illusion—take the form of a goat.