भीष्म उवाच इत्युक्तः स नृपस्तूष्णीमभूद् वायुस्ततोऽब्रवीत्। शृणु राजन्नगस्त्यस्य माहात्म्यं ब्राह्मणस्य ह॥
Bhishma said Thus addressed, king Arjuna remained silent. The god of wind once more spoke to him. Listen now, O king, to the greatness of the Brahmana Agastya.
असुरैर्निर्जिता देवा निरुत्साहश्च ते कृताः। यज्ञाश्चैषां हताः सर्वे पितॄणां च स्वधास्तथा॥
Once on a time, the gods were defeated by the Asuras upon which they became very dispirited. The sacrifices of the deities were all robbed, and the Svadha of the manes was also misappropriated.
कर्मेज्या मानवानां च दानवैहैहयर्षभ। भ्रष्टैश्वर्यास्ततो देवाश्चेरुः पृथ्वीमिति श्रुतिः॥
Indeed, O chief of the Haihayas, all the religious acts and observances of human beings also were stopped by the Danavas. Shorn of their prosperity, the celestials wandered over the Earth as we have heard.
ततः कदाचित् ते राजन् दीप्तमादित्यवर्चसम्। ददृशुस्तेजसा युक्तमगस्त्यं विपुलव्रतम्॥
One day, in course of their wanderings, they met Agastya of high vows, that Brahimana, O king, who was gifted with great energy and solar splendour.
अभिवाद्य तु तं देवाः पृष्ट्वा कुशलमेव च। इदमूचूर्महात्मानं वाक्यं काले जनाधिप॥ दानवैर्युधि भग्न: स्म तथैश्वर्याच्च भ्रंशिताः। तदस्मान्नो भयात् तीव्रात् त्राहि त्वं मुनिपुङ्गव॥
Saluting him duly, the celestials made the usual polite enquiries. They then, O king, said these words to that highsouled one, We have been defeated by the Danavas in battle, and have, therefore, been deprived of affluence and prosperity. Do you, therefore, O foremost of ascetics, rescue us from this situation of great fear.
इत्युक्तः स तदा देवैरगस्त्यः कुपितोऽभवत्। प्रजज्वाल च तेजस्वी कालाग्निरिव संक्षये॥
Thus informed of the condition to which the celestials had been reduced, Agastya became highly enraged. Highly energetic, he at once blazed forth like the allconsuming fire at the time of the universal dissolution.
तेन दीप्तांशुजालेन निर्दग्धा दानवास्तदा। अन्तरिक्षान्महाराज निपेतुस्ते सहस्रशः॥
With the burning rays which then came out from the Rishi, the Danavas began to be buint. Indeed, O king, thousands of them began to drop down from the sky.
दह्यमानास्तु ते दैत्यास्तस्यागस्त्यस्य तेजसा। उभौ लोकौ परित्यज्य गताः काष्ठां तु दक्षिणाम्॥
Burning with the energy of Agastya, the Danavas, abandoning both Heaven and Earth, fled towards the south.
बलिस्तु यजते यज्ञमश्वमेधं महीं गतः। येऽन्येऽधस्था महीस्थाश्च ते न दग्धा महासुराः॥
At that time the Danava king Bali was celebrating a HorseSacrifice in the nether regions. Those great Asuras who were with himn in those regions or who were living in the bowels of the Earth, were not burnt.
ततो लोकाः पुनः प्राप्ताः सुरैः शान्तभयैर्नृप। अथैनमब्रुवन् देवा भूमिष्ठानसुरान् जहि॥
The celestials, upon the destruction of their enemies, then regained their own regions, their fears entirely removed, Encouraged by what he did for them, they then begged the Rishi to destroy those Asuras who had taken refuge within the bowels of the Earth or in the nether regions.
इत्युक्तः प्राह देवान् स न शक्तोऽस्मि महीगतान्। दग्धुं तपो हि क्षीयेन्मे न शक्यामीति पार्थिव॥
Thus requested by the gods, Agastya replied to them, saying, Yes, I can consume those Asuras who are living underneath the Earth; but if I achieve such a feat, my penances will suffer decay. Hence, I shall not exert my power.
एवं दग्धा भगवता दानवाः स्वेन तेजसा। अगस्त्येन तदा राजंस्तपसा भावितात्मना॥
Thus, O king, were the Danavas consumed by the illustrious Rishi with his own energy. This did Agastya of purified soul, O monarch, accomplish that deed with the help of his penances.
ईदृशश्चाप्यगस्त्यो हि कथितस्ते मयाऽनघ। ब्रवीम्यहं ब्रूहि वा त्वमगस्त्यात् क्षत्रियं वरम्॥
O sinless one, so was Agastya as described by me. Shall I continue? Or, will you say anything in reply? Is there any Kshatriya who is greater than Agastya?
भीष्म उवाच इत्युक्तः स तदा तूष्णीमभूद् वायुस्ततोऽब्रवीत्। शृणु राजन् वसिष्ठस्य मुख्यं कर्म यशस्विनः॥
Bhishma said Thus addressed, king Arjuna remained silent. The god of wind once more said, Hear, O king, one of the great feats of the illustrious Vasishtha.
आदित्याः सत्रमासन्त सरो वै मानसं प्रति। वसिष्ठं मनसा गत्वा ज्ञात्वा तत् तस्य गौरवम्॥
Once on a time the celestials were engaged in celebrating a sacrifice on the shores of the lake Vaikhanasa. Knowing his power, the sacrificing gods thought of Vasishtha and made him their priest in imagination.
यजमानांस्तु तान् दृष्ट्वा सर्वान् दीक्षानुकर्शितान्। हन्तुमैच्छन्त शैलाभाः खलिनो नाम दानवाः॥
Meanwhile, seeing the gods reducer and emaciated on account of the initiation they were undergoing, a race of Danavas, of the name of Khalins, of statures as gigantic as mountains, wished to kill them.
अदूरात् तु ततस्तेषां ब्रह्मदत्तवरं सरः। हताहता वै तत्रैते जीवन्त्याप्लुत्य दानवाः॥
Those amongst the Danavas that were either disabled or killed in the fight were plunged into the waters of the Manasa lake and on account of the boon of the Grandfather they immediately came back to vigour and life.
प्रगृह्य महाघोरान् पर्वतान् परिघान् दुमान्। विक्षोभयन्तः सलिलमुत्थितं शतयोजनम्॥
Taking up huge and terrible mountain summits and maces and trees, they agitated the waters of the lake, making them swell up to the height of a hundred Yojanas.
अभ्यद्रवन्त देवांस्ते सहस्राणि दशैव हि। ततस्तैरर्दिता देवाः शरणं वासवं ययुः॥
They then ran against the celestials numbering ten thousand. Afflicted by the Danavas, the gods then sought the refuge of their king Vasava.
स च तैर्व्यथितः शक्रो वसिष्ठं शरणं ययौ। ततोऽभयं ददौ तैभ्यो वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः॥
Shakra, however, was soon afflicted by them. In his distress he sought the protection of Vasishtha. At this, the holy Rishi Vasishtha assured the celestials, removing their fears.
तदा तान् दुःखितान् ज्ञात्वा आनृशंस्य परो मुनिः। अयत्नेनादहत् सर्वान् खलिनः स्वेन तेजसा॥ ते
Understanding that the gods had become greatly dispirited, the ascetic did this through mercy. He displayed his energy and burnt, without any exertion, those Danavas called Khalins.
कैलासं प्रस्थितां चैव नदी गङ्गां महातपाः। आनयत् तत्सरो दिव्यं तया भिन्नं च तत्सरः॥
Having penances for wealth, the Rishi brought the River Ganga who had gone to Kailasa, to that spot, Indeed, Ganga appeared, piercing through the waters of the lake.
सरोभिन्नं तया नद्या सरयूः सा ततोऽभवत्। हताश्च खलिनो यत्र स देशः खलिनोऽभवत्॥
The lake was penetrated by that river. And as that celestial river piercing through the waters of the lake, appeared, it flowed on, under the name of Sarayu. The palace whereon those Danavas fell came to be called after them.
एवं सेन्द्रा वसिष्ठेन रक्षितास्त्रिदिवौकसः। ब्रह्मदत्तवराश्चैव हता दैत्या महात्मना।॥
Thus were the dwellers of Heaven, headed by Indra, rescued from great distress by Vasishtha. It was thus that those Danavas, who had received boons from Brahman, were killed by that great Rishi.
एतत् कर्म वसिष्ठस्य कथितं हि मयाऽनघ। ब्रवीम्यहं ब्रूहि वा त्वं वसिष्ठात् क्षत्रियं वरम्॥
O sinless one, I have described to you the fcat which Vasishtha accomplished. Shall I go on? Or, will you say anything? Was there a Kshatriya who could be said to excel the Brahmana Vasishtha?