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.'
स तानुवाच तेजस्वी सत्यधर्मपरायणः। करिष्ये पितरः कामं व्येतु वो मानसो ज्वरः
The radiant sage, devoted to truth and righteousness, replied to them: 'I shall fulfill your wish, ancestors; let your mental anguish subside.'
ततः प्रसवसन्तानं चिन्तयन्भगवानृषिः। आत्मनः प्रसवस्यार्थे नापश्यत्सदृशीं स्त्रियम्
Then the venerable seer, contemplating the continuation of his lineage, could not find a woman worthy of himself for the sake of progeny.
स तस्य तस् सत्वस्य तत्तदङ्गमनुत्तमम्। संगृह्यतत्समैरङ्गैर्निर्ममे स्त्रियमुत्तमाम्
He gathered the finest qualities from his own being and, combining them with the best attributes, created an excellent woman.
स तां विदर्भराजाय पुत्रकामाय ताम्यते। निर्मितामात्मनोऽर्थाय मुनिः प्रादान्महातपाः
That great ascetic, desiring a son for himself, gave the woman he had created to the king of Vidarbha, who longed for a child.
सा तत्र जज्ञे सुभगा विद्युत्सौदामनी यथा। विभ्राजमाना वपुषा व्यवर्धत शुभानना
There, she was born, blessed and beautiful, shining like a flash of lightning; radiant in form, she grew, her face lovely.
जातमात्रां च तां दृष्ट्वा वैदर्भः पृथिवीपतिः। प्रहर्षेण द्विजातिभ्यो न्यवेदयत भारत
Seeing her just born, the king of Vidarbha, filled with joy, announced it to the twice-born, O Bharata.
अभ्यनन्दन्त तां सर्वे ब्राह्मणा वसुधाधिप। लोपामुद्रेति तस्याश्च चक्रिरे नाम ते द्विजाः
All the Brahmins welcomed her, O lord of the earth, and those twice-born gave her the name Lopamudra.
ववृधे सा महाराज बिभ्रती रूपमुत्तमम्। अप्स्विवोत्पलिनी शीघ्रमग्नेरिव शिखा शुभा
She grew, O great king, bearing a most excellent form, swift as a lotus in water, beautiful as a flame of fire.
तां यौवनस्थां राजेन्द्रशतं कन्याः स्वलंकृताः। दास्यः शतं च कल्याणीमुपातस्थुर्वशानुगाः
When she reached youth, O king, a hundred adorned maidens and a hundred beautiful attendants gathered around her, devoted to her.
सा स्म दासीशतवृता मध्ये कन्याशतस्य च। आरस्ते तेजस्विनी कन्या रोहिणीव दिविप्रभा
Surrounded by a hundred attendants and among a hundred maidens, that radiant maiden shone in their midst like Rohini among the stars.