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.
मेषरूपी च वातापिः कामरूप्यभवत्क्षणात्। संस्कृत्यतं भोजयति ततो विप्रं जिधांसति
Vātāpi, able to assume any form at will, instantly became a ram; after preparing him, Ilvala would feed him to a Brahmin, intending to kill him.
स चाह्वयति यं वाचा गतं वैवस्वतक्षयम्। स पुनर्देहमास्थाय जीवन्स्म प्रत्यदृश्यत
Then, calling out with his voice to the one who had gone to the realm of Yama, he would summon him back; and Vātāpi, regaining his body, would appear alive once more.
ततो वातापिमसुरं छागं कृत्वा सुसंस्कृतम्। तं ब्राह्मणं भोजयित्वा पुनरेव समाह्वयत्
Thus Ilvala, after preparing his brother Vātāpi as a well-cooked goat, would feed him to a Brahmin and then call him forth again.
तामिल्वलेन महता स्वरेण गिरमीरिताम्। श्रुत्वाऽतिमायो बालवान्क्षिप्रं ब्राह्मणकण्टकः
When Ilvala uttered that great cry in a mighty voice, the exceedingly cunning Vātāpi, quick as a child, became a tormentor of Brahmins.
तस्य पार्श्वं विनिर्भिद्य ब्राह्मणस्य महासुरः। वातापिः प्रहसन्राजन्निश्चक्राम विशांपते
Bursting forth from the side of the Brahmin, the great Asura Vātāpi, laughing, would emerge, O king of kings.
एवं स ब्राह्मणान्राजन्भोजयित्वा पुनःपुनः। हिंसयामायस दैतेय इल्वलो दुष्टचेतनः
In this way, O king, Ilvala, the wicked-minded Daitya, repeatedly fed Brahmins and then harmed them through his deceit.
अगस्त्यश्चापि भगवानेतस्मिन्काल एव तु। पितॄन्ददर्श गर्ते वै लम्बमानानधोमुखान्
At that very time, the venerable Agastya beheld his ancestors hanging head-down in a pit.
सोऽपृच्छल्लम्बमानांस्तान्भगवन्तश्च किंपराः। `किंमर्थं वेह लम्बध्वे गर्ते यूयमधोमुखाः'। संतानहेतोरिति ते प्रत्यूचुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः
He asked those hanging ones, 'O venerable ones, why do you hang here in this pit, your faces turned downward?' They, versed in sacred lore, replied: 'It is for the sake of progeny.'
ते तस्मै कथयामासुर्वयं ते पितरः स्वकाः। गर्तमेतमनुप्राप्ता लम्बामः प्रसवार्थिनः
They told him, 'We are your own ancestors, Agastya, who have come to this pit and hang here, longing for offspring.'
यदि नो जनयेथास्त्वमगस्त्यापत्यमुत्तमम्। स्यान्नोस्मान्निरयान्मोक्षस्त्वं च पुत्राप्नुया गतिम्
'If you, Agastya, beget an excellent son for us, we shall be freed from hell, and you, too, will attain the state of a father.'