वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः सम्प्रस्थितो राजा कौन्तेयो भूरिदक्षिणः। अगस्त्याश्रममासाद्य दुर्जयायामुवास हा॥
Vaishampayana said : Then the of Kunti, the king (Yudhishthira), distinguished for his large gifts, son came to the hermitage of Agastya and lived at Durjaya.
तत्रैव लोमशं राजा पप्रच्छ वदतां वरः। अगस्त्येनेह वातापिः किमर्थमुपशामितः॥
That foremost of eloquent men, the king (Yudhishthira) asked Agastya why Vatapi was killed there by him,
आसीद्वा किं प्रभावश्च स दैत्यो मानवान्तकः। किमर्थं चोदितो मन्युरगस्त्यस्य महात्मनः॥
And what was the prowess of that meneating Daitya and why the anger of that highsouled (Rishi) was excited against him.
लोमश उवाच इल्वलो नाम दैतेय आसीत् कौरवनन्दन। मणिमत्यां पुरि पुरा वातापिस्तस्य चानुजः॥
Lomasha said: O descendant of Kuru, there was a Daitya, named Ilvala in the days of yore in the city of Manimati. He had a younger brother, called Vatapi.
स ब्राह्मणं तपोयुक्तमुवाच दितिनन्दनः। पुत्रं मे भगवानेकमिन्द्रतुल्यं प्रयच्छतु॥
That son of Diti (one day) spoke to an ascetic Brahmana, (saying), “O exalted one, give me a son equal to Indra.”
तस्मै स ब्राह्मणो नादात् पुत्रं वासवसम्मितम्। चुक्रोध सोऽसुरस्तस्य ब्राह्मणस्य ततो भृशम्॥
As that Brahmana did not give him a son equal to Indra, that Asura got exceedingly angry against that Brahmana.
तदाप्रभृति राजेन्द्र इल्वलो ब्रह्महासुरः। मन्युमान् भ्रातरं छागं मायावी ह्यकरोत् ततः॥
O king of kings, from that day the Asura Ilvala became a destroyer of Brahmanas. Endued as he was with the power of illusion, he made his brother a goat.
मेघरूपी च वातापि: कामरूप्यभवत् क्षणात्। संस्कृत्य च भोजयति ततो विप्रं जिघांसति॥
Vatapi who was capable of assuming any form at will at once assumed the form of a goat. After being cooked that food was given to the Brahmanas in order to kill them.
स चाह्वयति यं वाचा गतं वैवस्वतक्षयम्। स पुनर्देहमास्थाय जीवन् स्म प्रत्यदृश्यत॥
For he, whom he (Ilvala) summoned with his voice, would at once come back to him if he had gone even to the abode of Yama.
ततो वातापिमसुरं छागं कृत्वा सुसंस्कृतम्। तं ब्राह्मणं भोजयित्वा पुनरेव समाह्वयत्॥
Thus having transformed Vatapi into a goat and after having cooked his flesh, he fed the Brahmanas and summoned him (back) again.
तामिल्वलेन महता स्वरेण वाचमीरिताम्। श्रुत्वातिमायो बलवान् क्षिप्रं ब्राह्मणकण्टकः॥
That powerful (Asura) endued with great power of illusion, that thorn to the Brahmanas, hearing the words loudly uttered by Ilvala,
तस्य पार्श्व विनिर्भिद्य ब्राह्मणस्य महासुरः। वातापिः प्रहसन् राजन् निश्चक्राम विशाम्पते॥
That great Asura Vatapi, O king, O ruler of earth, would laughingly come out ripping open the sides of these Brahmanas.
एवं स ब्राह्मणान् राजन् भोजयित्वा पुनः पुनः। हिंसयामास दैतेय इल्वलो दुष्टचेतनः॥
O king, having thus fed the Brahmanas again and again, the wicked-minded Daitya Ilvala destroyed the Brahmanas.
अगस्त्यश्चापि भगवानेतस्मिन् काल एव तु। . पितृन् ददर्श गर्ने वै लम्बमानानधोमुखान्॥
The exalted Agastya in the mean-while saw his (dead) ancestors hanging in a pit with their head downwards.
सोऽपृच्छल्लम्बमानांस्तान् भवन्त इव कम्पिताः। संतानहेतोरिति ते प्रत्यूचुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः॥
He asked them who were thus hanging, "What is the matter with you?" And those Brahmanas replied, “It is for the want offspring.”
ते तस्मै कथयामासुर्वयं ते पितरः स्वकाः। गर्तमेतमनुप्राप्ता लम्बामः प्रसवार्थिनः॥
They told him, “We are your forefathers. We are thus hanging in this pit for the want of offspring.
यदि नो जनयेथास्त्वमगस्त्यापत्यमुत्तमम्। स्यान्नोऽस्मान्निरयान्मोक्षस्त्वं च पुत्राप्नुया गतिम्॥
O Agastya, if you beget an excellent son for us, we may then be saved from this hell and you too can acquire the blessed state obtainable by begetting offspring."
स तानुवाच तेजस्वी सत्यधर्मपरायणः। करिष्ये पितरः कामं व्येतु वो मानसो जवरः॥
To them replied that powerful Rishi observant of truth and morality, "O Pitris. I shall accomplish your desire and remove the fever of your mind.”
ततः प्रसवसंतानं चिन्तयन् भगवानृषिः। आत्मनः प्रसवस्यार्थे नापश्यत् सदृशी स्त्रियम्॥
Then that illustrious Rishi began to think how to perpetuate his race. He did not find a fit wife in whom he can take his birth as his son.
स तस्य तस्य सत्त्वस्य तत् तदङ्गमनुत्तमम्। संगृह्य तत्समैरङ्गैर्निर्मिमे स्त्रियमुत्तमाम्॥
He then, taking those parts of creatures that are considered beautiful, created an excellent woman with them.
स तां विदर्भराजस्य पुत्रार्थं तप्यतस्तपः। निर्मितामात्मनोऽर्थाय मुनिः प्रादान्महातपाः॥
That greatly ascetic Rishi then gave that woman created for him to the king of Vidarbha who was performing great asceticism to beget an offspring.
सा तत्र जज्ञे सुभगा विद्युत् सौदामनी यथा। विभ्राजमाना वपुषा व्यवर्धत शुभानना।॥
Taking her birth there, that exalted girl of beautiful face, as effulgent as the lightning, began to grow in body day after day.
जातमात्रां च तां दृष्ट्वा वैदर्भः पृथिवीपतिः। प्रहर्षेण द्विजातिभ्यो न्यवेदयत भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, as soon as she was born, seeing her, that ruler of earth, the king of Vidharbha communicated it to the Brahmanas in great joy.
अभ्यनन्दन्त तां सर्वे ब्राह्मणा वसुधाधिप। लोपामुद्रेति तस्याश्च चक्रिरे नाम ते द्विजाः॥
O ruler of earth, all those Brahmanas blessed her and those twice born ones gave her the name of Lopamudra.
ववृधे सा महाराज बिभ्रती रूपमुत्तमम्। अप्स्विवोत्पलिनी शीघ्रमग्नेरिव शिखा शुभा।॥
O king, possessed with great beauty that blessed girl began to grow quickly like a lotus in water or the blazing flame in a fire.
तां यौवनस्थां राजेन्द्र शतं कन्याः स्वलंकृताः। दास्यः शतं च कल्याणीमुपातस्थुर्वशानुगाः॥
O king of kings, when she grew youthful, one hundred damsels adorned with ornaments and also one hundred maid-servants, remaining at her command always, waited upon that blessed girl.
सा स्म दासीशतवृता मध्ये कन्याशतस्य च। आस्ते तेजस्विनी कन्या रोहिणीव दिवि प्रभा॥
Surrounded by these one hundred maidservants and remaining in the midst of these one hundred damsels, that effulgent damsel shone, as the brilliant Rohini (star) in the sky.
यौवनस्थामपि च तां शीलाचारसमन्विताम्। न वव्रे पुरुषः कश्चिद् भयात् तस्य महात्मनः॥
When she grew youthful, even then for the fear of the illustrious king none dared ask for her hand, endued as she was with good and excellent manners.
सा तु सत्यवती कन्या रूपेणाप्सरसोऽप्यति। तोषयामास पितरं शीलेन स्वजनं तथा॥
That truthful maiden possessed of beauty like that of an Apsara pleased her father and relatives with her good conduct.
वैदर्भी तु तथायुक्तां युवतीं प्रेक्ष्य वै पिता। मनसा चिन्तयामास कस्मै दद्यामिमां सुताम्॥
Seeing her attain to puberty, her father, the king of Vidharbha thought in his mind, "To whom shall I give my this daughter?”