The celestials said: -
1. All the four orders of creatures increase through your favour. They propitiate the dwellers of heaven with the offering of Habya and Kabya (sacrificial libations to the gods and oblations to the Pitris).
2. Thus being protected by you and freed from troubles, people through your favour increase depending on one another.
3. Now this great fear has overtaken the people. We do not know by whom the Brahmanas are killed at night.
4. If the Brahmanas are destroyed, the world will be also destroyed. If the world is destroyed, heaven itself will be destroyed.
5. O mighty armed lord of the universe, let not, through your favour, people, protected as they are by you, meet with destruction.
Vishnu said: -
6. O celestials, I know the reason of the destruction of all creatures. I shall tell you all about it. Having your mind freed form anxiety listen to it.
7. There are a fearful class (of Danavas) well-known by the name of Kalkeyas. Placing Vritra at their head, they devastated the Universe.
8. Having seen Vritra killed by the greatly intelligent deity of one thousand eyes (Indra), they entered into (the ocean) the abode of Varuna, to save their lives,
9. Having entered the fearful ocean full of sharks and crocodiles, they (now) kill the Rishis at night with the intention of exterminating all creatures.
10. But they cannot be killed, as they have taken shelter under the sea. You should Therefore, find out some means to dry up the ocean.
11. Except Agastya, who else is capable of drying up the ocean? Without drying up the ocean, they cannot be assailed by any other means.
Lomasha said: -
12. Having heard these words of Vishnu about the drying up of the ocean, they took the permission of Parameshti (Brahma) and went to the hermitage of Agastya.
13. There they saw the high-souled son of Varuna, of blazing effulgence, waited upon by the Rishis, as Brahma is waited upon by the celestials.
14. Going to the high-souled and undeteriorating son of Mitra and Varuna (Agastya) Seated in his hermitage as a man of ascetic merits, they sang his glory by reciting his deeds.
The celestials said: -
15. You became in the days of yore the refuge of creatures when they were oppressed by Nahusha. Deprived of his heaven's affluence, he was thrown down, a thorn of the heaven as he was, from the celestial region.
16. That foremost of mountains Vindhya being angry with the sun, suddenly (in the days of yore) began to increase its height, but he has ceased to increase, as he could not disobey your command.
17. When darkness covered the world, creatures were oppressed by death; but having got you as a protector, they obtained the greatest security.
18. O exalted one, whenever we are beset with danger, it is you from whom we ask for a boon, for you always grant the boon asked of you.
Thus ends the hundred and third chapter, the glories of Agasthya, in the Tirthayatra of the Vana Parva.