03.098
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
bhūya evāham icchāmi maharṣeḥ tasya dhīmataḥ। karmaṇāṃ vistaraṃ śrotum agastyasya dvijottama ॥03-98-1॥
O best of twice-born, I wish again indeed to hear in detail of the wise deeds of that great sage Agastya. (03-98-1)
lomaśa uvāca॥
Lomaśa said.
śṛṇu rājan kathāṃ divyām adbhutām atimānuṣīm। agastyasya mahārāja prabhāvam amitātmanaḥ ॥03-98-2॥
O king, listen to the divine, wonderful, and superhuman story; O great king, it is about the power of Agastya, whose soul is immeasurable. (03-98-2)
āsan kṛtayuge ghorā dānavā yuddha-durmadāḥ। kāleyā iti vikhyātā gaṇāḥ paramadāruṇāḥ॥03-98-3॥
In the Krita Yuga there were terrible danavas, fiercely intoxicated by battle. These extremely fierce groups were well-known as the Kāleyas. (03-98-3)
te tu vṛtraṃ samāśritya nānā-praharaṇodyatāḥ। samantāt paryadhāvanta mahendra-pramukhān surān॥03-98-4॥
But they, taking refuge with Vṛtra and armed with various weapons, surrounded and attacked the gods led by Indra from all sides. (03-98-4)
tato vṛtravadhé yatnam akurvaṃs tridaśāḥ purā। puraṃdaraṃ puraskṛtya brahmāṇam upatasthire ॥03-98-5॥
Then, in ancient times, the thirty gods made efforts for the slaying of Vṛtra. They approached Brahmā, having placed Indra at the forefront. (03-98-5)
kṛtāñjalīṃs tu tān sarvān parameṣṭhī uvāca ha। viditaṃ me surāḥ sarvaṃ yad vaḥ kāryaṃ cikīrṣitam ॥03-98-6॥
Brahmā, seeing all of them with joined palms, spoke: "O gods, I know all that you desire to accomplish." (03-98-6)
tam-upāyaṁ pravakṣyāmi yathā vṛtraṁ vadhiṣyatha. dadhīca iti vikhyāto mahān ṛṣir udāradhīḥ ॥03-98-7॥
I will tell you the means by which you will slay Vṛtra. The great sage known as Dadhīca, who is noble-minded. (03-98-7)
taṃ gatvā sahitāḥ sarve varaṃ vai samprayācata। sa vo dāsyati dharmātmā suprītenāntarātmanā ॥03-98-8॥
Go to him together and ask for the boon. He, being righteous and deeply pleased in his heart, will grant it to you. (03-98-8)
sa vācyah sahitaiḥ sarvair bhavadbhir jayakāṅkṣibhiḥ। svāny asthīni prayaccheti trailokyasya hitāya vai॥ sa śarīraṃ samutsṛjya svāny asthīni pradāsyati॥03-98-9॥
You all, united and desiring victory, should tell him: "Give your own bones"—thus, for the welfare of the three worlds. He will relinquish his body and give his own bones. (03-98-9)
tasyāsthibhir mahāghoraṃ vajraṃ sambhriyhatāṃ dṛḍham। mahac chatruhaṇaṃ tīkṣṇaṃ ṣaḍaśraṃ bhīmanisvanam ॥03-98-10॥
Let a very terrible and firm thunderbolt be prepared from his bones—great, sharp, six-edged, of terrifying sound, and capable of destroying great enemies. (03-98-10)
tena vajreṇa vai vṛtraṃ vadhiṣyati śatakratuḥ. etad vaḥ sarvam ākhyātam tasmāc chīghraṃ vidhīyatām ॥03-98-11॥
Śatakratu (Indra) will indeed slay Vṛtra with that thunderbolt. All this has been told to you; therefore, let it be done quickly. (03-98-11)
evam-uktās tato devā anujñāpya pitāmaham। nārāyaṇaṃ puraskṛtya dadhīcasya āśramaṃ yayuḥ ॥03-98-12॥
After being thus addressed, the gods, having received permission from the grandsire, with Nārāyaṇa at their head, went to the hermitage of Dadhīca. (03-98-12)
sarasvatyāḥ pare pāre nānādrumalatāvṛtam। ṣaṭpadodgītaninadairvighuṣṭaṃ sāmagairiva ॥ puṃs kokilaravonmiśraṃ jīvañjīvakanāditam ॥03-98-13॥
On the far shore of the Sarasvatī, covered with various trees and creepers, resounding with the chanting-like hums of bees as though by singers of the Sāma, mixed with the calls of the male cuckoo and enlivened by the sounds of jīvaka birds. (03-98-13)
mahiṣaiś ca varāhaiś ca sṛmaraiś camaraiḥ api। tatra tatra anucaritaṃ śārdūla-bhaya-varjitaiḥ ॥03-98-14॥
Here and there, the area was traversed by buffaloes, boars, deer, and antelopes, all unafraid of tigers. (03-98-14)
kareṇubhir vāraṇaiś ca prabhinnakaraṭāmukhaiḥ| saro'vagāḍhaiḥ krīḍadbhiḥ samantād anunāditam ॥03-98-15॥
The lake, entered and played in on all sides by female elephants and elephants with burst trunk-mouths, resounded everywhere. (03-98-15)
siṁha-vyāghraiḥ mahā-nādān nadadbhir anunāditam। aparaiś cāpi saṁlīnair guhā-kandara-vāsibhiḥ॥03-98-16॥
The place was echoed by the loud roars of lions and tigers, and also by other creatures hidden away, dwelling in caves and caverns. (03-98-16)
teṣu teṣv avakāśeṣu śobhitaṃ sumanoramam। triviṣṭapasamaprakhyaṃ dadhīcāśramam āgaman ॥03-98-17॥
In those various delightful and splendid places, they arrived at Dadhīca's hermitage, which was as magnificent as heaven. (03-98-17)
tatrāpaśyandadhīcaṃ te divākarasamadyutim। jājvalyamānaṃ vapuṣā yathā lakṣmyā pitāmaham ॥03-98-18॥
There they saw Dadhīca, shining with the radiance of the sun, brilliant in his body, like the grandsire Brahmā with his splendor. (03-98-18)
tasya pādau surā rājan abhinamya praṇamya ca। ayācanta varaṃ sarve yathoktaṃ parameṣṭhinā॥03-98-19॥
O king, the gods, having greeted and bowed to his feet, all requested the boon as spoken by Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā). (03-98-19)
tato dadhīcaḥ paramapratītaḥ; surottamāṃs tān idam abhyuvāca. karomi yad vo hitam adya devāḥ; svaṃ ca api dehaṃ tu aham utsṛjāmi ॥03-98-20॥
Then Dadhīca, full of supreme confidence, addressed those best among the gods: "I shall do what is beneficial for you today, O gods; I shall also give up my own body." (03-98-20)
sa evam-uktvā dvipadāṃ variṣṭhaḥ; prāṇān-vaśī svān-sahasā-utsasarja. tataḥ surāḥ te jagṛhuḥ parāsaḥ; asthīni tasya atha yathā-upadeśam ॥03-98-21॥
Having thus spoken, the foremost among bipeds, controlling his own life-breaths, suddenly gave them up. Then the gods collected his ashes and bones, as instructed. (03-98-21)
prahṛṣṭarūpāś ca jayāya devā; tvaṣṭāram āgamya tam artham ūcuḥ. tvaṣṭā tu teṣāṃ vacanaṃ niśamya; prahṛṣṭarūpaḥ prayataḥ prayatnāt ॥03-98-22॥
The gods, delighted and eager for victory, approached Tvaṣṭṛ and stated their purpose to him. Tvaṣṭṛ, in turn, gladly, listened to their words and with intent and effort responded. (03-98-22)
cakāra vajraṃ bhṛśam-ugrarūpaṃ; kṛtvā ca śakraṃ sa uvāca hṛṣṭaḥ. anena vajra-pravareṇa deva; bhasmī kuru ṣva adya surāri-m-ugram ॥03-98-23॥
He fashioned a thunderbolt of exceedingly terrible form; having done so, he joyfully addressed Indra: 'O god, with this excellent thunderbolt, destroy today the fierce enemy of the gods.' (03-98-23)
tato hatāriḥ sagaṇaḥ sukhaṁ vai; praśādhi kṛtsnaṁ tridivaṁ diviṣṭhaḥ. tvaṣṭrā tathoktaḥ sa puraṁdarastu; vajraṁ prahṛṣṭaḥ prayato'bhyagṛhṇāt ॥03-98-24॥
Then, the slayer of foes (Indra), along with his attendants, happily ruled over the entire heaven, O dweller of heaven. Thus addressed by Tvaṣṭṛ, he, Purandara (Indra), joyfully and with readiness, accepted the thunderbolt. (03-98-24)
