An Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s6.252.1

c5.s6.252.1

[Jāpakopākhyāna(m)] ("the episode about the reciter of sacred mantras"). § 662b (Mokshadh.): A brahman, who was a reciter, conversant with the six Aṅgas, of the Kuçika race and son of Pippalāda, acquired spiritual insight into the Aṅgas; at the foot of Himavat he was devoted to the Vedas; silently reciting Gāyatrī, he practised austerities for 1,000 years in order to attain to Brahman. Then Gāyatrī (Sāvitrī) appeared and granted him the boon that his wish for recitation should go on increasing, and his absorption into meditation (samādhi) be more complete. She added that he should not have to go to hell, thither where great brahmans go, but to the region of Brahmān, and that Dharma, etc. (α), would come to him in person. He continued engaged in recitation for 1,000 celestial years. Then Dharma came to him and told him to cast off his body in order to win regions of bliss; but he did not wish to reside in heaven except with his body, but only took pleasure in recitation. Time, Mṛtyu, and Yama came and told him the same. The brahman gave them arghya and pādya. Ikṣvāku, who had set out on a tīrthayātrā, came and was given arghya and pādya. The brahman wished to give him something; Ikṣvāku, as a kṣatriya, would not take anything except battle, but only himself give; at last, however, he asked to be allowed to enjoy the fruits of the brahman's recitations, but when the brahman consented he would n t take them, and asked the brahman what those fruits were.