Ilvala and Vatapi; the Birth of Lopamudra

Verse 1 (3.94.1)

ततः संप्रस्थितो राजा कौन्तेयो भूरिदक्षिणः । अगस्त्याश्रममासाद्य दुर्जयायामुवास ह ॥

tataḥ saṃprasthito rājā kaunteyo bhūridakṣiṇaḥ | agastyāśramamāsādya durjayāyāmuvāsa ha

Then King Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, giver of rich sacrificial gifts, set out once more; reaching the hermitage of Agastya, he stayed at Durjaya.

Verse 2 (3.94.2)

तत्रैव लोमशं राजा पप्रच्छ वदतांवरः । अगस्त्येनेह वातापिः किमर्थमुपशामितः ॥

tatraiva lomaśaṃ rājā papraccha vadatāṃvaraḥ | agastyeneha vātāpiḥ kimarthamupaśāmitaḥ

There the king, foremost of speakers, asked Lomasha: "Why did Agastya put an end to Vatapi here?"

Verse 3 (3.94.3)

आसीद्वा किंप्रभावश्च स दैत्यो मानवान्तकः । किमर्थं चोदितो मन्युरगस्त्यस्य महात्मनः ॥

āsīdvā kiṃprabhāvaśca sa daityo mānavāntakaḥ | kimarthaṃ codito manyuragastyasya mahātmanaḥ

"And what was the power of that Daitya, the destroyer of men? Why was the wrath of the great-souled Agastya stirred?"

Note on the text: Speaker changed from वैशंपायन to युधिष्ठिर: the whole verse is Yudhishthira's question to Lomasha, with no printed heading.

Verse 4 (3.94.4)

इल्वलो नाम दैतेय आसीत्कौरवनन्दन । मणिमत्यां पुरि पुरा वातापिस्तस्य चानुजः ॥

ilvalo nāma daiteya āsītkauravanandana | maṇimatyāṃ puri purā vātāpistasya cānujaḥ

Long ago, O delight of the Kurus, there lived in the city of Manimati a Daitya named Ilvala, and Vatapi was his younger brother.

Note on the text: Corrected कौरवनन्दना → कौरवनन्दन (misprint in Wikisource; the vocative is kauravanandana, as in the critical edition).

Verse 5 (3.94.5)

स ब्राह्मणं तपोयुक्तमुवाच दितिनन्दनः । पुत्रं मे भगवानेकमिन्द्रतुल्यं प्रयच्छतु ॥

sa brāhmaṇaṃ tapoyuktamuvāca ditinandanaḥ | putraṃ me bhagavānekamindratulyaṃ prayacchatu

That son of Diti once said to a brahmin rich in austerity: "Holy one, grant me a single son equal to Indra."

Verse 6 (3.94.6)

तस्मै स ब्राह्मणो नादात्पुत्रं वासवसंमितम् । चुक्रोध सोऽसुरस्तस्य ब्राह्मणस्य ततो भृशम् ॥

tasmai sa brāhmaṇo nādātputraṃ vāsavasaṃmitam | cukrodha so'surastasya brāhmaṇasya tato bhṛśam

The brahmin did not give him a son like Vasava, and at that the asura grew fiercely angry with the brahmin.

Verse 7 (3.94.7)

तदाप्रभृतिराजेन्द्र इल्वलो ब्रह्महाऽसुरः । मन्युमान्भ्रातरं छागं मायावी ह्यकरोत्ततः ॥

tadāprabhṛtirājendra ilvalo brahmahā'suraḥ | manyumānbhrātaraṃ chāgaṃ māyāvī hyakarottataḥ

From that time on, O king of kings, Ilvala, the brahmin-slaying asura, wrathful and a master of illusion, turned his brother into a goat.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records this and the next verse in its apparatus as 3.94.6d*0479.

Verse 8 (3.94.8)

मेषरूपी च वातापिः कामरूप्यभवत्क्षणात् । संस्कृत्यतं भोजयति ततो विप्रं जिधांसति ॥

meṣarūpī ca vātāpiḥ kāmarūpyabhavatkṣaṇāt | saṃskṛtyataṃ bhojayati tato vipraṃ jidhāṃsati

Vatapi, who could take any form he wished, became a ram in an instant. Ilvala would cook him and feed him to a brahmin, and then seek to kill that brahmin.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); recorded in its apparatus as 3.94.6d*0479.

Verse 9 (3.94.9)

स चाह्वयति यं वाचा गतं वैवस्वतक्षयम् । स पुनर्देहमास्थाय जीवन्स्म प्रत्यदृश्यत ॥

sa cāhvayati yaṃ vācā gataṃ vaivasvatakṣayam | sa punardehamāsthāya jīvansma pratyadṛśyata

For whomever Ilvala called with his voice, even one gone to the abode of Vaivasvata, would take on a body again and be seen alive.

Verse 10 (3.94.10)

ततो वातापिमसुरं छागं कृत्वा सुसंस्कृतम् । तं ब्राह्मणं भोजयित्वा पुनरेव समाह्वयत् ॥

tato vātāpimasuraṃ chāgaṃ kṛtvā susaṃskṛtam | taṃ brāhmaṇaṃ bhojayitvā punareva samāhvayat

So he would make the asura Vatapi into a goat, cook him well, feed that brahmin, and then call to him again.

Verse 11 (3.94.11)

तामिल्वलेन महता स्वरेण गिरमीरिताम् । श्रुत्वाऽतिमायो बलवान्क्षिप्रं ब्राह्मणकण्टकः ॥

tāmilvalena mahatā svareṇa giramīritām | śrutvā'timāyo balavānkṣipraṃ brāhmaṇakaṇṭakaḥ

Hearing that call raised by Ilvala in a loud voice, the mighty one, so full of guile, the thorn in the side of brahmins, swiftly

Note on the text: Corrected बालवान् → बलवान् (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition's apparatus reads balavān). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); recorded in its apparatus as 3.94.8d*0480.

Verse 12 (3.94.12)

तस्य पार्श्वं विनिर्भिद्य ब्राह्मणस्य महासुरः । वातापिः प्रहसन्राजन्निश्चक्राम विशांपते ॥

tasya pārśvaṃ vinirbhidya brāhmaṇasya mahāsuraḥ | vātāpiḥ prahasanrājanniścakrāma viśāṃpate

tore open the brahmin's side, and the great asura Vatapi came out laughing, O king, O lord of the people.

Verse 13 (3.94.13)

एवं स ब्राह्मणान्राजन्भोजयित्वा पुनःपुनः । हिंसयामास दैतेय इल्वलो दुष्टचेतनः ॥

evaṃ sa brāhmaṇānrājanbhojayitvā punaḥpunaḥ | hiṃsayāmāsa daiteya ilvalo duṣṭacetanaḥ

In this way, O king, the wicked-minded Daitya Ilvala fed brahmins again and again and killed them.

Note on the text: Corrected हिंसयामायस → हिंसयामास (misprint in Wikisource; the periphrastic perfect is hiṃsayām āsa, as in the critical edition).

Verse 14 (3.94.14)

अगस्त्यश्चापि भगवानेतस्मिन्काल एव तु । पितॄन्ददर्श गर्ते वै लम्बमानानधोमुखान् ॥

agastyaścāpi bhagavānetasminkāla eva tu | pitṝndadarśa garte vai lambamānānadhomukhān

At that very time the holy Agastya saw his ancestors hanging head downward in a pit.

Verse 15 (3.94.15)

सोऽपृच्छल्लम्बमानांस्तान्भगवन्तश्च किंपराः । किमर्थं वेह लम्बध्वे गर्ते यूयमधोमुखाः । संतानहेतोरिति ते प्रत्यूचुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः ॥

so'pṛcchallambamānāṃstānbhagavantaśca kiṃparāḥ | kimarthaṃ veha lambadhve garte yūyamadhomukhāḥ | saṃtānahetoriti te pratyūcurbrahmavādinaḥ

He asked them as they hung there: "Revered ones, what are you intent on? Why do you hang here in this pit, head downward?" "For the sake of offspring," those knowers of the Veda replied.

Note on the text: Corrected किंमर्थं → किमर्थं (misprint in Wikisource) and removed the stray wiki marks (` and ') around the second line. That middle line is not in the critical edition's text (vulgate recension; its apparatus records it as 3.94.12b*0481); the outer lines are 3.94.12.

Verse 16 (3.94.16)

ते तस्मै कथयामासुर्वयं ते पितरः स्वकाः । गर्तमेतमनुप्राप्ता लम्बामः प्रसवार्थिनः ॥

te tasmai kathayāmāsurvayaṃ te pitaraḥ svakāḥ | gartametamanuprāptā lambāmaḥ prasavārthinaḥ

They told him: "We are your own ancestors. We have come into this pit and hang here longing for descendants.

Verse 17 (3.94.17)

यदि नो जनयेथास्त्वमगस्त्यापत्यमुत्तमम् । स्यान्नोस्मान्निरयान्मोक्षस्त्वं च पुत्राप्नुया गतिम् ॥

yadi no janayethāstvamagastyāpatyamuttamam | syānnosmānnirayānmokṣastvaṃ ca putrāpnuyā gatim

If you, Agastya, would beget an excellent child, we would be freed from this hell, and you, son, would reach the goal."

Note on the text: Speaker changed from लोमश to the ancestors: the whole verse continues their speech begun in the previous verse.

Verse 18 (3.94.18)

स तानुवाच तेजस्वी सत्यधर्मपरायणः । करिष्ये पितरः कामं व्येतु वो मानसो ज्वरः ॥

sa tānuvāca tejasvī satyadharmaparāyaṇaḥ | kariṣye pitaraḥ kāmaṃ vyetu vo mānaso jvaraḥ

The radiant sage, devoted to truth and dharma, said to them: "Ancestors, I shall do as you wish. Let the fever of your minds pass."

Verse 19 (3.94.19)

ततः प्रसवसन्तानं चिन्तयन्भगवानृषिः । आत्मनः प्रसवस्यार्थे नापश्यत्सदृशीं स्त्रियम् ॥

tataḥ prasavasantānaṃ cintayanbhagavānṛṣiḥ | ātmanaḥ prasavasyārthe nāpaśyatsadṛśīṃ striyam

Then the holy seer, thinking how to continue his line through offspring, could find no woman fit to bear his child.

Verse 20 (3.94.20)

स तस्य तस्य सत्त्वस्य तत्तदङ्गमनुत्तमम् । संगृह्यतत्समैरङ्गैर्निर्ममे स्त्रियमुत्तमाम् ॥

sa tasya tasya sattvasya tattadaṅgamanuttamam | saṃgṛhyatatsamairaṅgairnirmame striyamuttamām

So, taking from each creature whatever part of it was finest, he gathered them and with those matching limbs fashioned a most excellent woman.

Note on the text: Corrected तस् सत्वस्य → तस्य सत्त्वस्य (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara and a broken conjunct; the critical edition reads tasya tasya sattvasya).

Verse 21 (3.94.21)

स तां विदर्भराजाय पुत्रकामाय ताम्यते । निर्मितामात्मनोऽर्थाय मुनिः प्रादान्महातपाः ॥

sa tāṃ vidarbharājāya putrakāmāya tāmyate | nirmitāmātmano'rthāya muniḥ prādānmahātapāḥ

The great ascetic sage gave her, whom he had fashioned for himself, to the king of Vidarbha, who was pining for a child.

Verse 22 (3.94.22)

सा तत्र जज्ञे सुभगा विद्युत्सौदामनी यथा । विभ्राजमाना वपुषा व्यवर्धत शुभानना ॥

sā tatra jajñe subhagā vidyutsaudāmanī yathā | vibhrājamānā vapuṣā vyavardhata śubhānanā

There the fortunate girl was born, like a flash of lightning, and, shining in her beauty, the fair-faced child grew.

Verse 23 (3.94.23)

जातमात्रां च तां दृष्ट्वा वैदर्भः पृथिवीपतिः । प्रहर्षेण द्विजातिभ्यो न्यवेदयत भारत ॥

jātamātrāṃ ca tāṃ dṛṣṭvā vaidarbhaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | praharṣeṇa dvijātibhyo nyavedayata bhārata

As soon as she was born, the king of Vidarbha, lord of the earth, joyfully made her known to the brahmins, O Bharata.

Verse 24 (3.94.24)

अभ्यनन्दन्त तां सर्वे ब्राह्मणा वसुधाधिप । लोपामुद्रेति तस्याश्च चक्रिरे नाम ते द्विजाः ॥

abhyanandanta tāṃ sarve brāhmaṇā vasudhādhipa | lopāmudreti tasyāśca cakrire nāma te dvijāḥ

All the brahmins welcomed her, O lord of the earth, and those twice-born gave her the name Lopamudra.

Verse 25 (3.94.25)

ववृधे सा महाराज बिभ्रती रूपमुत्तमम् । अप्स्विवोत्पलिनी शीघ्रमग्नेरिव शिखा शुभा ॥

vavṛdhe sā mahārāja bibhratī rūpamuttamam | apsvivotpalinī śīghramagneriva śikhā śubhā

She grew quickly, great king, bearing the highest beauty, like a lotus in the water or a bright tongue of flame.

Verse 26 (3.94.26)

तां यौवनस्थां राजेन्द्रशतं कन्याः स्वलंकृताः । दास्यः शतं च कल्याणीमुपातस्थुर्वशानुगाः ॥

tāṃ yauvanasthāṃ rājendraśataṃ kanyāḥ svalaṃkṛtāḥ | dāsyaḥ śataṃ ca kalyāṇīmupātasthurvaśānugāḥ

When the lovely girl reached youth, O king of kings, a hundred well-adorned maidens and a hundred serving-women waited on her, obedient to her wishes.

Verse 27 (3.94.27)

सा स्म दासीशतवृता मध्ये कन्याशतस्य च । आस्ते तेजस्विनी कन्या रोहिणीव दिविप्रभा ॥

sā sma dāsīśatavṛtā madhye kanyāśatasya ca | āste tejasvinī kanyā rohiṇīva diviprabhā

Surrounded by a hundred serving-women, in the midst of a hundred maidens, the radiant girl sat shining like Rohini in the sky.

Note on the text: Corrected आरस्ते → आस्ते (misprint in Wikisource; a stray akshara; the critical edition reads āste).

Verse 28 (3.94.28)

यौवनस्थामपि च तां शीलाचारसमन्विताम् । न वव्रे पुरुषः कश्चिद्भयात्तस्य महात्मनः ॥

yauvanasthāmapi ca tāṃ śīlācārasamanvitām | na vavre puruṣaḥ kaścidbhayāttasya mahātmanaḥ

Though she had come of age and was graced with good character and conduct, no man sought her hand, for fear of that great-souled sage.

Verse 29 (3.94.29)

सा तु सत्यवती कन्या रूपेणाप्सरसोप्यति । तोषयामास पितरं शीलेन स्वजनं तथा ॥

sā tu satyavatī kanyā rūpeṇāpsarasopyati | toṣayāmāsa pitaraṃ śīlena svajanaṃ tathā

That truthful maiden, who surpassed even the apsaras in beauty, delighted her father and her kin with her good nature.

Verse 30 (3.94.30)

वैदर्भीं तु तथायुक्तां युवतीं प्रेक्ष्य वै पिता । मनसा चिन्तयामास कस्मै दद्यामिमांसुताम् ॥

vaidarbhīṃ tu tathāyuktāṃ yuvatīṃ prekṣya vai pitā | manasā cintayāmāsa kasmai dadyāmimāṃsutām

Seeing the princess of Vidarbha grown into such a young woman, her father pondered in his mind: "To whom shall I give this daughter of mine?"

Note on the text: Corrected वैदर्भी → वैदर्भीं (misprint in Wikisource; the object of प्रेक्ष्य needs the accusative, as in the critical edition's vaidarbhīṃ).