Vayu Tells of Agastya and Vasishtha

Verse 1 (13.260.1)

इत्युक्तः स नृपस्तूष्णीमभूद्वायुस्ततोऽब्रवीत् । शृणु राजन्नगस्त्यस्य महात्म्यं ब्राह्मणस्य ह ॥

ityuktaḥ sa nṛpastūṣṇīmabhūdvāyustato'bravīt | śṛṇu rājannagastyasya mahātmyaṃ brāhmaṇasya ha

Thus addressed, the king fell silent, and Vayu then said: “Hear, O king, the greatness of the brahmin Agastya.”

Note on the text: Corrected ब्राह्ममस्य → ब्राह्मणस्य (CE brāhmaṇasya; misprint in Wikisource). The page's heading is Bhishma's, and the first line is the narrator's; Vayu's speech begins in line 2 and runs through verse 14 (given to Vayu from verse 2, where it fills whole verses). The reading महात्म्यं is kept (CE: māhātmyaṃ).

Verse 2 (13.260.2)

असुरैर्निर्जिता देवा निरुत्साहाश्च ते कृताः । यज्ञाश्चैषां हृताः सर्वे पितॄणां च स्वधास्तथा ॥

asurairnirjitā devā nirutsāhāśca te kṛtāḥ | yajñāścaiṣāṃ hṛtāḥ sarve pitṝṇāṃ ca svadhāstathā

The gods were conquered by the asuras and robbed of their spirit; all their sacrifices were seized, and the svadha offerings of the ancestors as well.

Verse 3 (13.260.3)

कर्मेज्या मानवानां च दानवैर्हैहयर्षभ । भ्रष्टैश्वर्यास्ततो देवाश्चेरुः पृथ्वीमिति श्रुतिः ॥

karmejyā mānavānāṃ ca dānavairhaihayarṣabha | bhraṣṭaiśvaryāstato devāśceruḥ pṛthvīmiti śrutiḥ

And the danavas, O best of the Haihayas, seized the rites and sacrifices of mortals. Robbed of their lordship, the gods then roamed the earth—so the tradition says.

Note on the text: Corrected कर्मज्या → कर्मेज्या (kar-ma + ijyā; CE karmejyā; misprint in Wikisource).

Verse 4 (13.260.4)

ततः कदाचित्ते राजन्दीप्तमादित्यवर्चसम् । ददृशुस्तेजसा युक्तमगस्त्यं विपुलव्रतम् ॥

tataḥ kadācitte rājandīptamādityavarcasam | dadṛśustejasā yuktamagastyaṃ vipulavratam

Then, at one time, O king, they saw Agastya, of great vows, blazing, endowed with a radiance like the sun's.

Note on the text: Corrected तेजसाः → तेजसा (stray visarga; CE tejasā yuktam; misprint in Wikisource).

Verse 5 (13.260.5)

अभिवाद्य तु तं देवाः पृष्ट्वा कुशलमेव च । इदमूचुर्महात्मानं वाक्यं काले जनाधिप ॥

abhivādya tu taṃ devāḥ pṛṣṭvā kuśalameva ca | idamūcurmahātmānaṃ vākyaṃ kāle janādhipa

The gods greeted him and asked after his welfare, and then, at the right moment, spoke these words to the great-souled sage, O lord of men.

Note on the text: Line 1 is a recension variant of CE 13.140.5a (CE: abhivādya ca taṃ devā dṛṣṭvā ca yaśasā vṛtam); the Wikisource reading is kept.

Verse 6 (13.260.6)

दानवैर्युधि भग्नाः स्म तथैश्वर्याच्च भ्रंशिताः । तदस्मान्नो भयात्तीव्रात्त्राहि त्वं मुनिपुङ्गव ॥

dānavairyudhi bhagnāḥ sma tathaiśvaryācca bhraṃśitāḥ | tadasmānno bhayāttīvrāttrāhi tvaṃ munipuṅgava

“We have been broken by the danavas in battle and thrown down from our lordship. Therefore save us, best of sages, from this dreadful fear.”

Note on the text: Corrected तथैश्वर्याच्चि → तथैश्वर्याच्च (stray ि; CE aiśvaryāc ca; misprint in Wikisource). Corrected मुनिपुङ्गवः → मुनिपुङ्गव (a vocative takes no visarga; CE munipuṃgava; misprint in Wikisource). The page prints no heading; the whole verse is the gods' appeal, so it is given to them.

Verse 7 (13.260.7)

इत्युक्तः स तदा देवैरगस्त्यः कुपितोऽभवत् । प्रजज्वाल च तेजस्वी कालाग्निरिव संक्षये ॥

ityuktaḥ sa tadā devairagastyaḥ kupito'bhavat | prajajvāla ca tejasvī kālāgniriva saṃkṣaye

Thus addressed by the gods, Agastya grew angry, and the radiant sage blazed up like the fire of destruction at the end of an age.

Verse 8 (13.260.8)

तेन दीप्तांशुजालेन निर्दग्धा दानवास्तदा । अन्तरिक्षान्महाराज निपेतुस्ते सहस्रशः ॥

tena dīptāṃśujālena nirdagdhā dānavāstadā | antarikṣānmahārāja nipetuste sahasraśaḥ

By that net of blazing rays the danavas were burned up, and they fell from the sky by the thousand, O great king.

Note on the text: Line 2 is a recension variant of CE 13.140.8c (CE: nyapatanta sahasraśaḥ); the Wikisource reading is kept.

Verse 9 (13.260.9)

दह्यमानास्तु ते दैत्यास्तस्यागस्त्यस्य तेजसा । उभौ लोकौ परित्यज्य गताः काष्ठां तु दक्षिणाम् ॥

dahyamānāstu te daityāstasyāgastyasya tejasā | ubhau lokau parityajya gatāḥ kāṣṭhāṃ tu dakṣiṇām

Burned by the radiance of Agastya, those daityas abandoned both worlds and fled to the southern quarter.

Verse 10 (13.260.10)

बलिस्तु यजते यज्ञमश्वमेधं महीं गतः । येऽन्ये स्वस्था महीस्थाश्च ते न दग्धा महासुराः ॥

balistu yajate yajñamaśvamedhaṃ mahīṃ gataḥ | ye'nye svasthā mahīsthāśca te na dagdhā mahāsurāḥ

But Bali had gone to the earth and was performing a horse sacrifice. The other great asuras, who were unharmed and on the earth, were not burned.

Note on the text: Corrected येन्येऽधस्ता महीस्थाश्च तेन दग्धा → येऽन्ये स्वस्था महीस्थाश्च ते न दग्धा (CE ye 'nye svasthā mahīsthāś ca te na dagdhā; the sense, confirmed by verse 12 (Agastya cannot burn those on earth), requires 'were not burned'; misprint in Wikisource).

Verse 11 (13.260.11)

त्यक्तलोकाः पुनः प्राप्ताः सुरैः शान्तभयैर्नृप । अथैनमब्रुवन्देवा भूमिष्ठानसुराञ्जहि ॥

tyaktalokāḥ punaḥ prāptāḥ suraiḥ śāntabhayairnṛpa | athainamabruvandevā bhūmiṣṭhānasurāñjahi

The gods, their fear calmed, regained the worlds they had left, O king. Then the gods said to him, “Kill the asuras who are on the earth.”

Note on the text: Corrected भूमिष्ठानसु राञ्जहि → भूमिष्ठानसुराञ्जहि (stray space; misprint in Wikisource). Line 1 is a recension variant of CE 13.140.11a (CE: tato lokāḥ punaḥ prāptāḥ suraiḥ śāntaṃ ca tad rajaḥ); line 2 = CE 13.140.11c. The Wikisource reading is kept.

Verse 12 (13.260.12)

इत्युक्तः प्राह देवान्स न शक्तोस्मि महीगतान् । दग्धुं तपो हि क्षीयेन्मे न धक्ष्यामीति पार्थिव ॥

ityuktaḥ prāha devānsa na śaktosmi mahīgatān | dagdhuṃ tapo hi kṣīyenme na dhakṣyāmīti pārthiva

Thus addressed, he said to the gods, “I cannot burn those who have gone to the earth; my austerity would be spent. I will not burn them,” O king.

Verse 13 (13.260.13)

एवं दग्धा भगवता दानवाः स्वेन तेजसा । अगस्त्येन तदा राजंस्तपसा भावितात्मना ॥

evaṃ dagdhā bhagavatā dānavāḥ svena tejasā | agastyena tadā rājaṃstapasā bhāvitātmanā

In this way the blessed Agastya, his soul perfected by austerity, burned the danavas by his own radiance, O king.

Verse 14 (13.260.14)

ईदृशश्चाप्यगस्त्यो हि कथितस्ते मयाऽनघ । ब्रवीम्यन्यं ब्रूहि वा त्वमगस्त्यात्क्षत्रियं वरम् ॥

īdṛśaścāpyagastyo hi kathitaste mayā'nagha | bravīmyanyaṃ brūhi vā tvamagastyātkṣatriyaṃ varam

“Such is the Agastya I have described to you, sinless one. I say: name another, or name a Kshatriya better than Agastya.”

Verse 15 (13.260.15)

इत्युक्तः स तदा तूष्णीमभूद्वायुस्ततोऽब्रवीत् । शृणु राजन्वसिष्ठस्य मुख्यं कर्म यशस्विनः ॥

ityuktaḥ sa tadā tūṣṇīmabhūdvāyustato'bravīt | śṛṇu rājanvasiṣṭhasya mukhyaṃ karma yaśasvinaḥ

Thus addressed, he fell silent, and Vayu then said: “Hear, O king, the chief deed of the renowned Vasishtha.”

Note on the text: Printed heading: Bhishma. The first line is the narrator's; Vayu's speech begins in line 2.

Verse 16 (13.260.16)

वैखानसविधानेन गङ्गातीरं समाश्रिताः । आदित्याः सत्रमासन्त सरो वैखानसं प्रति । वसिष्ठं मनसा गत्वा ज्ञात्वा तत्त्वस्य गोचरम् ॥

vaikhānasavidhānena gaṅgātīraṃ samāśritāḥ | ādityāḥ satramāsanta saro vaikhānasaṃ prati | vasiṣṭhaṃ manasā gatvā jñātvā tattvasya gocaram

Following the Vaikhanasa rule, the Adityas who had settled on the bank of the Ganga held a sacrificial session by the Vaikhanasa lake, having turned in thought to Vasishtha and known the reach of the truth.

Note on the text: Corrected `वैखानसविधानेन गङ्गातीरं समाश्रिताः।' । → वैखानसविधानेन गङ्गातीरं समाश्रिताः । (stray backtick and quote marks removed). Corrected तत्वस्य → तत्त्वस्य (broken conjunct; misprint in Wikisource). The page prints three lines (16a–c) as one verse. Line 1 is CE star line 13.140.015d*0647_01 (vaikhānasavidhānena gaṅgātīraṃ samāśritāḥ); lines 2–3 are recension variants of CE 13.140.16a and 16c (CE: saro vai mānasaṃ prati; śrutvā tatrāsya gocaram).

Verse 17 (13.260.17)

यजमानांस्तु तान्दृष्ट्वा सर्वान्दीक्षानुकर्शितान् । हन्तुमैच्छन्त शैलाभा बलिनो नाम दानवाः ॥

yajamānāṃstu tāndṛṣṭvā sarvāndīkṣānukarśitān | hantumaicchanta śailābhā balino nāma dānavāḥ

Seeing all those sacrificers worn thin by their consecration, the mountain-like danavas called Balins wished to kill them.

Note on the text: Corrected दृष्वा → दृष्ट्वा (broken conjunct; CE dṛṣṭvā; misprint in Wikisource). Line 1 differs from CE 13.140.17a (CE: vyagrān); a recension variant, kept. The danavas' name बलिनः is the page's reading (CE: khalinaḥ).

Verse 18 (13.260.18)

अदूरात्तु ततस्तेषां ब्रह्मदत्तवरं सरः । हता हता वै तत्रैते जीवन्त्याप्लुत्य दानवाः ॥

adūrāttu tatasteṣāṃ brahmadattavaraṃ saraḥ | hatā hatā vai tatraite jīvantyāplutya dānavāḥ

Not far from them was a lake that Brahma had endowed with a boon; the danavas, slain again and again, would plunge into it there and come back to life.

Verse 19 (13.260.19)

ते प्रगृह्य महाघोरान्पर्वतान्परिघान्द्रुमान् । विक्षोभयन्तः सलिलमुत्थितं शतयोजनम् ॥

te pragṛhya mahāghorānparvatānparighāndrumān | vikṣobhayantaḥ salilamutthitaṃ śatayojanam

Seizing fearsome mountains, clubs and trees, they churned up the water, which rose a hundred yojanas high.

Verse 20 (13.260.20)

अभ्यद्रवन्त देवांस्ते सहस्राणि दशैव हि । ततस्तैरर्दिता देवाः शरणं वासवं ययुः ॥

abhyadravanta devāṃste sahasrāṇi daśaiva hi | tatastairarditā devāḥ śaraṇaṃ vāsavaṃ yayuḥ

Ten thousand of them rushed upon the gods; and tormented by them, the gods took refuge with Vasava.

Verse 21 (13.260.21)

स च तैर्व्यथितः शक्रो वसिष्ठं शरणं ययौ । ततोऽभयं ददौ तेभ्यो वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः ॥

sa ca tairvyathitaḥ śakro vasiṣṭhaṃ śaraṇaṃ yayau | tato'bhayaṃ dadau tebhyo vasiṣṭho bhagavānṛṣiḥ

And Shakra, distressed by them, went to Vasishtha for refuge; then the blessed sage Vasishtha gave them assurance of safety.

Note on the text: Corrected सरणं → शरणं (CE śaraṇaṃ; misprint in Wikisource).

Verse 22 (13.260.22)

तदा तान्दुःखितान्ज्ञात्वा आनृशंस्यपरो मुनिः । अयत्नेनादहत्सर्वाञ्ज्वलता स्वेन तेजसा ॥

tadā tānduḥkhitānjñātvā ānṛśaṃsyaparo muniḥ | ayatnenādahatsarvāñjvalatā svena tejasā

Then, knowing them to be distressed, the sage, intent on compassion, burned them all without effort with his own blazing radiance.

Note on the text: Corrected दुःकितान् → दुःखितान् (CE duḥkhitān; misprint in Wikisource). Recension variant of CE 13.140.22 (CE: tathā tān duḥkhitāñ jānann … khalinaḥ); the Wikisource reading is kept.

Verse 23 (13.260.23)

कैलासं प्रस्थितां चैव नदीं गङ्गां महातपाः । आनयत्तत्सरो दिव्यं तया भिन्नं च तत्सरः ॥

kailāsaṃ prasthitāṃ caiva nadīṃ gaṅgāṃ mahātapāḥ | ānayattatsaro divyaṃ tayā bhinnaṃ ca tatsaraḥ

Then that great ascetic brought the river Ganga, who was setting out for Kailasa, to that divine lake, and by her the lake was breached.

Verse 24 (13.260.24)

सरो भिन्नं तया नद्या सरयूः सा ततोऽभवत् । हताश्च बलिनो यत्र स देशे बलिनोऽभवत् ॥

saro bhinnaṃ tayā nadyā sarayūḥ sā tato'bhavat | hatāśca balino yatra sa deśe balino'bhavat

The lake, broken by that river, became the Sarayu from then on; and the region where the Balins were slain became known as Balin.

Verse 25 (13.260.25)

एवं सेन्द्रा वसिष्ठेन रक्षितास्त्रिदिवौकसः । ब्रह्मदत्तवराश्चैव हता दैत्या महात्मना ॥

evaṃ sendrā vasiṣṭhena rakṣitāstridivaukasaḥ | brahmadattavarāścaiva hatā daityā mahātmanā

Thus Indra and the dwellers in heaven were protected by Vasishtha, and the daityas who had Brahma's boon were slain by that great-souled one.

Verse 26 (13.260.26)

एतत्कर्म वसिष्ठस्य कथितं हि मयाऽनघ । ब्रवीम्यन्यं ब्रूहि वा त्वं वसिष्ठात्क्षत्रियं वरम् ॥

etatkarma vasiṣṭhasya kathitaṃ hi mayā'nagha | bravīmyanyaṃ brūhi vā tvaṃ vasiṣṭhātkṣatriyaṃ varam

“This deed of Vasishtha has been told to you, sinless one. I say: name another, or name a Kshatriya better than Vasishtha.”