[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Epic, Poetry, Drama & Narrative](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit) › [The Mahābhārata and its versions](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata) › [The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa) › 3.97 # The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 3.97: saptanavatitamo'dhyāyaḥ Mahābhārata 3.97 - **Language:** Sanskrit ### saptanavatitamo'dhyāyaḥ ### [3.97.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.1) lomaśa uvāca | ilvalastānviditvā tu maharṣisahitānnṛpān | upasthitānsahāmātyo viṣayānte'bhyapūjayat || 1 || > "Lomasa said, 'When Ilwala learnt that those kings along with the great Rishi had arrived on the confines of his domain, he went out with his ministers and worshipped them duly. And that prince of Asuras received them hospitably, entertaining them, O son of the Kuru race, with well dressed meat supplied by his brother Vatapi (transformed into a ram). Then all those royal sages, beholding the mighty Asura Vatapi, who had been transformed into a ram thus cooked for them, became sad and cheerless and were nearly deprived of themselves. But that best of Rishis--Agastya--addressing those royal sages, said, 'Yield ye not to grief, I will eat up the great Asura.' And the mighty Rishi then sat himself down on an excellent seat, and the prince of Asuras, Ilwala, began to distribute the food smilingly. And Agastya ate up the whole of the meat supplied by Vatapi (transformed into a ram). And after the dinner was over, Ilwala began to summon his brother. But thereupon a quantity of air alone came out of the illustrious Rishi's stomach, with a sound that was as loud, O child, as the roar of the clouds. And Ilwala repeatedly said, 'Come out, O Vatapi!' Then that best of Munis--Agastya--bursting out in laughter, said, 'How can he come out? I have already digested that great Asura.' And beholding his brother already digested, Ilwala became sad and cheerless and joining his hands, along with his ministers, addressing the Rishi (and his companions), said, 'What for have ye come hither, and what can I do for you?' And Agastya smilingly answered Ilwala, saying, 'We know thee, O Asura, to be possessed of great power and also enormous wealth. These kings are not very wealthy while my need also of wealth is great. Give us what thou canst, without injuring others.' Thus addressed Ilwala saluted the Rishi and said, 'If thou say what it is that I mean to give, then will I give you wealth.' Hearing this Agastya said, 'O great Asura, thou hast even purposed to give unto each of these kings ten thousand kine and as many gold coins. And unto me thou hast purposed to give twice as much, as also a car of gold and a couple of horses fleet as thought. > — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa ### [3.97.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.2) teṣāṃ tato'suraśreṣṭha ātithyamakarottadā | sa saṃskṛtena kauravya bhrātrā vātāpinā kila || 2 || ### [3.97.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.3) tato rājarṣayaḥ sarve viṣaṇṇā gatacetasaḥ | vātāpiṃ saṃskṛtaṃ dṛṣṭvā meṣabhūtaṃ mahāsuram || 3 || ### [3.97.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.4) athābravīdagastyastānrājarṣīnṛṣisattamaḥ | viṣādo vo na kartavyo ahaṃ bhokṣye mahāsuram || 4 || ### [3.97.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.5) dhuryāsanamathāsādya niṣasāda mahāmuniḥ | taṃ paryaveṣaddaityendra ilvalaḥ prahasanniva || 5 || ### [3.97.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.6) agastya eva kṛtsnaṃ tu vātāpiṃ bubhuje tataḥ | bhuktavatyasuro''hvānamakarottasya ilvalaḥ || 6 || ### [3.97.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.7) tato vāyuḥ prādurabhūdagastyasya mahātmanaḥ | ilvalaśca viṣaṇṇo'bhūddṛṣṭvā jīrṇaṃ mahāsuram || 7 || ### [3.97.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.8) prāñjaliśca sahāmātyairidaṃ vacanamabravīt | kimarthamupayātāḥ stha brūta kiṃ karavāṇi vaḥ || 8 || ### [3.97.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.9) pratyuvāca tato'gastyaḥ prahasannilvalaṃ tadā | īśaṃ hyasura vidmastvāṃ vayaṃ sarve dhaneśvaram || 9 || ### [3.97.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.10) ime ca nātidhanino dhanārthaśca mahānmama | yathāśaktyavihiṃsyānyānsaṃvibhāgaṃ prayaccha naḥ || 10 || ### [3.97.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.11) tato'bhivādya tamṛṣimilvalo vākyamabravīt | ditsitaṃ yadi vetsi tvaṃ tato dāsyāmi te vasu || 11 || ### [3.97.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.12) agastya uvāca | gavāṃ daśa sahasrāṇi rājñāmekaikaśo'sura | tāvadeva suvarṇasya ditsitaṃ te mahāsura || 12 || ### [3.97.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.13) mahyaṃ tato vai dviguṇaṃ rathaścaiva hiraṇmayaḥ | manojavau vājinau ca ditsitaṃ te mahāsura | jijñāsyatāṃ rathaḥ sadyo vyaktameṣa hiraṇmayaḥ || 13 || > \[paragraph continues\] If thou enquirest now, thou wilt soon learn that your car is made of gold.' Thereupon, O son of Kunti, Ilwala made enquiries and learnt that the car he had intended to give away was really a golden one. And the Daitya then with a sad heart, gave away much wealth and that car, unto which were yoked two steeds called Virava and Surava. And those steeds, O Bharata, took those kings and Agastya and all that wealth to the asylum of Agastya within the twinkling of an eye. And those royal sages then obtaining Agastya's permission, went away to their respective cities. And Agastya also (with that wealth) did all that his wife Lopamudra had desired. And Lopamudra then said, 'O illustrious one, thou hast now accomplished all my wishes. Beget thou a child on me that shall be possessed of great energy.' And Agastya replied unto her, saying, 'O blessed and beauteous one, I have been much gratified with thy conduct. Listen thou unto me as regards the proposal I make in respect of thy offspring. Wouldst thou have a thousand sons, or a century of sons each equal to ten, or ten sons equal each to an hundred, or only one son who may vanquish a thousand?' Lopamudra answered, 'Let me have one son equal unto a thousand, O thou endued with wealth of asceticism! One good and learned son is preferable to many evil ones.'" > — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa ### [3.97.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.14) lomaśa uvāca | jijñāsyamānaḥ sa rathaḥ kaunteyāsīddhiraṇmayaḥ | tataḥ pravyathito daityo dadāvabhyadhikaṃ vasu || 14 || ### [3.97.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.15) vivājaśca suvājaśca tasminyuktau rathe hayau | ūhatustau vasūnyāśu tānyagastyāśramaṃ prati | sarvānrājñaḥ sahāgastyānnimeṣādiva bhārata || 15 || ### [3.97.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.16) agastyenābhyanujñātā jagmū rājarṣayastadā | kṛtavāṃśca muniḥ sarvaṃ lopāmudrācikīrṣitam || 16 || ### [3.97.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.17) lopāmudrovāca | kṛtavānasi tatsarvaṃ bhagavanmama kāṅkṣitam | utpādaya sakṛnmahyamapatyaṃ vīryavattaram || 17 || ### [3.97.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.18) agastya uvāca | tuṣṭo'hamasmi kalyāṇi tava vṛttena śobhane | vicāraṇāmapatye tu tava vakṣyāmi tāṃ śṛṇu || 18 || ### [3.97.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.19) sahasraṃ te'stu putrāṇāṃ śataṃ vā daśasaṃmitam | daśa vā śatatulyāḥ syureko vāpi sahasravat || 19 || ### [3.97.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.20) lopāmudrovāca | sahasrasaṃmitaḥ putra eko me'stu tapodhana | eko hi bahubhiḥ śreyānvidvānsādhurasādhubhiḥ || 20 || ### [3.97.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.21) lomaśa uvāca | sa tatheti pratijñāya tayā samabhavanmuniḥ | samaye samaśīlinyā śraddhāvāñśraddadhānayā || 21 || > "Lomasa continued, 'Saying, 'So be it,' that pious Muni thereupon knew his devout wife of equal behaviour. And after she had conceived, he retired into the forest. And after the Muni had gone away, the foetus began to grow for seven years. And after the seventh year had expired, there came out of the womb, the highly learned Dridhasyu, blazing, O Bharata, in his own splendour. And the great Brahmana and illustrious ascetic, endued with mighty energy, took his birth as the Rishi's son, coming out of the womb, as if repeating the Vedas with the Upanishads and the Angas. Endued with great energy while yet a child, he used to carry loads of sacrificial fuel into the asylum of his father, and was thence called Idhmavaha (carrier of sacrificial wood). And the Muni, beholding his son possessed of such virtues, became highly glad. > — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa ### [3.97.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.22) tata ādhāya garbhaṃ tamagamadvanameva saḥ | tasminvanagate garbho vavṛdhe sapta śāradān || 22 || ### [3.97.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.23) saptame'bde gate cāpi prācyavatsa mahākaviḥ | jvalanniva prabhāvena dṛḍhasyurnāma bhārata | sāṅgopaniṣadānvedāñjapanneva mahāyaśāḥ || 23 || ### [3.97.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.24) tasya putro'bhavadṛṣeḥ sa tejasvī mahānṛṣiḥ | sa bāla eva tejasvī pitustasya niveśane | idhmānāṃ bhāramājahre idhmavāhastato'bhavat || 24 || ### [3.97.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.25) tathāyuktaṃ ca taṃ dṛṣṭvā mumude sa munistadā | lebhire pitaraścāsya lokānrājanyathepsitān || 25 || > "And it was thus, O Bharata, that Agastya begat an excellent son in consequence of which his ancestors, O king, obtained the regions they desired. And it is from that time that this spot hath become known on the earth as the asylum of Agastya. Indeed, O king, this is the asylum graced with numerous beauties, of that Agastya who had slain Vatapi of Prahrada's race. The sacred Bhagirathi, adored by gods and Gandharvas gently runneth by, like a breeze-shaken pennon in the welkin. Yonder also she floweth over craggy crests descending lower and lower, and looketh like an affrighted she-snake lying along the hilly slopes. Issuing out of the matted locks of Mahadeva, she passeth along, flooding the southern country and benefiting it like a mother, and ultimately mingleth with the ocean as if she were his favourite bride. Bathe ye as ye like in this sacred river, ye son of Pandu! And behold there, O Yudhisthira, the tirtha of Bhrigu that is celebrated over the three worlds and adored, O king, by great Rishis. Bathing here, Rama (of Bhrigu's race) regained his might, which had been taken away from him (by Dasaratha's son). Bathing here, O son of Pandu, with thy brothers and Krishna, thou wilt certainly regain that energy of thine that hath been taken away by Duryodhana, even as Rama regained his that had been taken away by Dasaratha's son in hostile encounter." > — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa ### [3.97.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.26) agastyasyāśramaḥ khyātaḥ sarvartukusumānvitaḥ | prāhrādirevaṃ vātāpiragastyena vināśitaḥ || 26 || ### [3.97.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97.27) tasyāyamāśramo rājanramaṇīyo guṇairyutaḥ | eṣā bhāgīrathī puṇyā yatheṣṭamavagāhyatām || 27 || ## Translations (1) - [The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa~en-ganguli.3.99.1) — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, English ## Commentaries (5) - [Bhāratabhāvadīpa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa!nilakantha.3.99.1) — Nīlakaṇṭha Caturdhara 1650, Sanskrit - [Lakṣābharaṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa!vadiraja-laksabharana.295.11) — Vādirāja Sūri, Sanskrit - [Lakṣaślokālaṅkāra](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa!vadiraja.318.11) — Vādirāja, Sanskrit - [Jñānadīpikā](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa!devabodha) — Devabodha, Sanskrit - [Mahābhārataṭīkā](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa!nilakantha-mahabharatatika) — Nīlakaṇṭha Dīkṣita, Sanskrit ## Other recensions (2) - [Vulgate (Nīlakaṇṭha's text)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa*vulgate.3.99.1) — Sanskrit - [Southern recension](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa*southern.3.97.1) — Sanskrit ## Linked texts (1) - [Critical Studies in the Mahābhārata (V. S. Sukthankar Memorial Edition, Vol. I)](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.literature.sukthankar-1944.c6.s5.t2.17) — V. S. Sukthankar, English --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.97) · Pramāṇa