तीर्थयात्रा पर्व — परशुराम के तेज का नाश

Lomasha said: Having learnt that those kings with the great Rishi had arrived at the frontier of his kingdom. Ilvala with all his relatives went out and worshipped them duly.

O descendant of Kuru, that foremost of Asuras received them with hospitality and entertained them with well cooked meat of his brother Vatapi (in the form of a goat).

Thereupon seeing Vatapi, the great Asura cooked, all the royal sages were filled with grief and became as senseless.

Thereupon that foremost of Rishis Agastya said to those royal sages. “You ought not to grieve. I shall eat up the great Asura." When the great Rishi sat on an excellent seat in order to eat, the great Daitya Ilvala laughingly began to distribute the food.

Then Agastya eat up all the cooked meat of Vatapi. When the dinner was over the Asura Alluvial began to summon him (Vatapi).

Thereupon, a child, (only a quantity of) wind came out of the stomach of the high-souled one with great a sound as that of the roaring clouds.

He (Ilvala) again and again cried, “Vatapi,O Vatapi, come out.” Then that foremost of Rishis, Agastya laughingly said,

"How can he come out? I have already digested that Asura." Seeing that great Asura digested, Ilvala became sad.

Joining his hands along with his ministers, he thus spoke, “What for have you come here? And what can I do for you?”

Thereupon Agastya smilingly thus replied, "O Asura, we know you to be possessed of great power and also enormous wealth.

These kings are not very wealthy, but my necessity of wealth is great. Give us what you can without injuring any other.

Thereupon (having been thus addressed) Ilvala saluted the Rishi and thus spoke to him, "If you can say what it is that I mean to give, then I shall give you wealth.

Agastya said : O Asura, you have intended to give to each of these kings ten thousand kine and as many gold coins.

O great Asura, to me you have intended to give twice as much and a golden chariot and a couple of horses with the speed of mind.

Lomasha said: O son of Kunti, he (Ilvala) made inquired and learnt that the car was really made of gold. The Daitya then with a sad heart gave away much wealth.

That car which are yoked the two horses, called Virava and Surava. O descendant of Bharata, these horses took those kings and Agastya and also all the wealth to the hermitage of Agastya within twinkling of an eye. Then obtaining Agastya's permission the royal sages went away to their respective cities. That Rishi (Agastya) did all that his wife Lopamudra had desired.

Lopamudra said : O exalted one, you have accomplished all my desires. (Now) beget on me a greatly powerful and virtuous son.

Agastya said : O blessed one, O beautiful lady, I am pleased with your conduct. Listen to me as regards the proposal I make in respect of your son.

Do you desire to have one thousand sons or one hundred sons, each equal to one hundred or only one such who can conquer one thousand.

Lopamudra said : O great ascetic, let me have one son equal to one thousand. One learned and good son is preferable to many bad ones.

Lomasha said: O King, saying “So be it”, that Rishi lived with reverence with his devoted wife of equal behaviour and then the Rishi) went away into the forest. After he had gone away to the forest, that conception grew on for seven years.

O descendant of Bharata, when the seventh year passed, that highly learned man, called Dridasya came out of the womb blazing like fire.

That highly effulgent Brahmana, that great ascetic, took birth as that Rishi's (Agastya's) son, as if uttering the Vedas, Vedangas and the Upanishadas.

Greatly powerful even in his childhood, he used to carry loads of sacrificial fuel to his father's house and hence he was called Idhmavaha.

Seeing him endued with such (prowess) that Rishi became very much pleased. O descendant of Bharata, thus did he beget that excellent son.

O king, by this his ancestors obtained the region they desired. From that time this place has become famous on earth as the hermitage of Agastya.

O king, this is that hermitage of Agastya who had killed Vatapi of the Prahrada race, the hermitage adorned with charming beauties.

This sacred Bhagirathi frequented by the celestials and the Gandharvas rolls in like a person in the sky shaken by the gentle breeze.

She flows onward on draggy crests (of hills), descending lower and lower, looking like a frightened female snake lying along the slopes of the hills.

Issuing first from the matted locks of Sambhu (Shiva), this favourite queen of the ocean floods the southern country, (thereby benefiting it) as a mother. Bathe freely in this highly sacred river.

O Yudhishthira, O great king, behold the Bhrigu Tirtha, celebrated over the three worlds and frequented by the great Rishi.

Bathing in it, Rama regained his lost prowess. O son of Pandu, bathing here with your brothers and Krishna (Draupadi).

You should regain that effulgence which had been robbed from you by Duryodhana, as Rama regained his lost splendour by a hostile encounter (with Dashratha's son).

Vaishampayana said : O descendant of Bharata, the Pandava (Yudhishthira) bathed there with his brothers and Krishna (Draupadi) and offered oblations to the Pitris and the celestials.

O foremost of men, after he had bathed there, his body blazed forth in brighter effulgence. and he became invincible to all foes,

O king of kings, the son of Pandu (Yudhishthira) then thus spoke to Lomasha, "O exalted one, for what reason Rama's effulgence was robbed? How did he again regain it? I ask you, tell me everything.

Lomasha said : O king of kings, listen to the history of Rama (Dasharatha's son) and also that of the intelligent (Parshurama), the descendant of Bhrigu. For the destruction of Ravana, Vishnu in his own body took his birth as the son of the illustrious Dasharatha. We then saw that son of Dasharatha when he had been born in Ayodhya.

Being impelled by curiosity, Rama, the descendant of Bhrigu, the son of Richika and Renuka, hearing of Rama, the son of Dasharatha of spotless deeds, went to Ayodhya, taking with him the bow so fatal to the Kshatriyas.

(With the intention of) ascertaining the prowess of Rama, the son of Dasharatha. Hearing that he had arrived at the frontier of his dominion, Dasharatha, sent his own son Rama to receive (Parshu) Rama with respect. Seeing him (Dasharatha's son) arrived and standing before him with upraised weapons, Rama, smilingly spoke these words to him, “O king of kings, O lord, O ruler of earth, string, if you can with all your strength, this bow in my hand which was made to destroy the Kshatriyas."

Having been thus addressed, he (Dasharatha's son) said, “O exalted one, you should not insult me thus.

I am amongst the twice-born not deficient in the virtue of the Kshatriya order. But the descendants of Ikshvaku never boast of their prowess of arms,

To him who spoke thus, Rama replied in these words, “O descendant of Raghu, stop all your crafty speech. Take this bow."

Thereupon the son of Dasharatha Rama took up in anger from the hands of (Parshu) Rama that celestials bow which destroyed the foremost of Kshatriyas. O descendant of Bharata, that greatly powerful hero stringed that bow without the least exertion and then he twanged it.

With its twang like that of the thunder he frightened all creatures. Thereupon Rama, the son of Dasharatha, thus spoke to (Parshu) Rama, “O Brahmana, here I have stringed the bow. What else shall I do for you?” Then the illustrious son of Jamadagni (Parshurama) gave to Rama a celestials arrow and said, “Please this to the bow-string and draw it to your ear.

Having heard this, Rama, blazing up in wrath, thus spoke to him, “O descendant of Bhrigu, I have heard what you have said and I have also pardoned you. You are full of vanity.

You have acquired prowess superior to the Kshatriyas through the grace of the Grandsire (Brahma) and therefore you certainly insult me.!

Behold me in my own original form; I give you sight.” Then the descendant of Bhrigu Rama saw in the body of Rama (Dasharatha's son). The Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Sadhyas, the Marutas, the Pitris, Hutashana (Fire), constellations, the planets. The Gandharvas, the Rakshashas, the Yakshas, the rivers, the Tirthas, those eternal Rishis who have become Brahma-like, namely Valakhilyas. The celestials Rishis, the seas, the mountains, the Vedas, the Upanishadas, the Vasishthas, the sacrifices, the Samas in their living forms. O descendant of Bharata Yudhishthira, the science of arms, the clouds with rain and lightning to saw in the body of Rama (Dasharatha's son).

Then the exalted Vishnu (Rama) shot that arrow. O descendant of Bharata at this the whole earth was filled with sounds of thunder and burning meteors flashed through the sky. Showers of dust and rain fell on the earth, earthquakes, whirl-winds of fearful sounds convulged everything.

Confounding (Parshu) Rama by the effulgence of the arrow shot by the hand of Rama, it came back blazing into his hand.

(Parshu) Rama who had been thus deprived of his senses, then regaining his consciousness and receiving back (as it were) his life, bowed to the greatly effulgent Vishnu (Rama). Commanded by Vishnu he again went to the Mahendra mountain. The great ascetic lived there in fear and in shame.

When one year passed away, seeing (Parshu) Rama deprived of prowess, his pride gone and himself in great affliction, the Pitris thus spoke to him,

“O son, in going to Vishnu, your conduct was not proper. He deserves to be worshipped and respected by the three worlds.

O son, go to the sacred river which is known by the name of Vadhusara. Bathing in all the Tirthas in that river, you will regain your old effulgence.

O Rama, therein is the Tirtha called Diptodaka where your grand father Bhrigu in the celestials age practised excellent austerities."

O son of Kunti, Rama did all that his ancestors had said. O son of Pandu, he regained his lost effulgence in this Tirtha.

O child, O great king, this was what happened in the days of yore to Rama of spotless deeds when he met with Vishnu.