Vaishampayana said: -
1. O Janmejaya, thereupon the Pandavas started from the Kaushika and went, one after the other, to all the sacred shrines.
2. O King, going to the sea where the Ganges mingles with it, he performed the sacred ceremony of a plunge in the centre of the five hundred rivers.
3. O descendant of Bharata, that ruler of earth, the hero, accompanied by his brothers then went along the shore of the ocean to the land of the Kalingas.
Lomasha said: -
4. O son of Kunti, this is Kalinga where flows the river Vaitarani, where (on the banks of which) Dharma performed sacrifices under the protection of the celestials.
5. This is the Northern bank (of the Vaitarani) always frequented by the Brahmanas, inhabited by the Rishis, suitable for performing sacrifices and adorned with a hill.
6. It rivals the path by which a virtuous man fit for going to heaven goes to the celestials region In the days of yore, the Rishis performed sacrifices at this spot.
7. O king of kings, here at this spot Rudra seized the sacrificial beast. O king of kings, he then exclaimed, “This is my share.”
8. O best of the Bharata race, the (sacrificial) beasts being thus taken away, the celestials then thus spoke to him, “Do not cast covetous eyes on the property of others. Do not disregard all the righteous rules.”
9. They then addressed pleasing words of glorification to Rudra (Shiva). They gratified him with a sacrifice and they offered him suitable honours.
10. Thereupon giving up the beast, he went away by the path trodden by the celestials. O Yudhishthira, hear from me what then happened to Rudra.
11. The celestials from the fear of Rudra set apart for eternity the best portion of all shares (of a sacrifice) such as was fresh and not stale.
12. The man, who bathes at this spot and recites this ancient story, sees with his human eyes the path that leads to the celestial region.
Vaishampayana said: -
13. Thereupon all the highly exalted Pandavas with Draupadi descended to the Vaitarani and offered oblations to the Pitris.
Yudhishthira said: -
14. O Lomasha, behold, how great is the merit of a pious act! Having bathed in this spot with proper form, I seem no more to touch the world of men.
15. O vow-observing Rishi, through your grace I see all the regions. This is the sound of the recitations (of the Vedas) by the high-souled Rishis.
Lomasha said: -
16. O Yudhishthira, O ruler of men, the place from which you hear this sound, is distant from here three hundred thousand yoyanas. Keep quiet.
17. O king, this is the celestials forest of the self-create (Brahma) where, O king of kings, the powerful Vishvamitra performed his sacrifices.
18. In which sacrifices the self-create (Brahma) gave away to the illustrious Kashyapa, as Dakshina, this earth with all its mountains, rivers and countries.
19. O son of Kunti, as soon as earth was given away, she became sad; and thus she spoke in anger to the exalted lord of the world,
20. “O exalted one, you should not have given me away to any mortal. Your giving me away would come to nothing, for I am going down to the nether world.”
21. O ruler of earth seeing the earth sad and despondent, the exalted Rishi, Kashyapa, gratified her by a propitiatory act.
22. O son of Pandu, thereupon the earth was gratified with his asceticism. She again rose from the water and remained as a sacrificial altar.
23. O king, yonder before us is the spot with the distinct form of that sacred altar. O great king, ascending it, become great in prowess.
24. O king, this is that sacred altar stretching as far as the sea; be blessed by ascending it; and of yourself cross the sea.
25. When you will ascend it today, I shall perform the ceremony to avert all evils from you, for, O descendant of Ajamida, this altar here, as soon as it is touched by a mortal, goes down into the sea.
26. “I bow to the god who protects the universe. I bow to the god who is beyond this universe. O lord of gods, come near this salt sea.”
27-28. “The fire, the sun, the organ of generation, water, the goddess, the seed of Vishnu, nectar and the navel of nectar. The god of fire is the organ that generated you (ocean). The earth is your body. Vishnu gave the seed that caused your being. You are the navel of nectar.” O son of Pandu, you must recite the above words of truth and as you recite you must quickly ascend this altar. O Pandava, thus, these words of truth must be audibly recited; and while thus reciting them, one must plunge into this lord of rivers (ocean).
29. O son of Kunti, O best of the Kurus, else this lord of waters of divine origin, this great ocean, must not be touched even by the end of a Kusa (grass).
Vaishampayana said: -
30. Thereupon when the ceremony to avert evils had been completed, the high-souled Yudhishthira went into the sea. Having performed all that the Rishi (Lomasha) had ordered, he went to the Mahendra (mountain) and spent the night there.
Thus ends the hundred and fourteenth chapter, going to Mahendra in the Tirthayatra of the Vana Parva.
Vaishampayana said: -
1. That lord of earth (Yudhishthira) lived there for one night. He with his brothers gave the highest honours to the ascetics.
2. Lomasha told him there the names of all the ascetics, namely the Bhrigus, the Angiras, the Vasishthas and the Kashyapas.
3. The royal sage (Yudhishthira) paid a visit to them all and made obeisance to them with joined hands. He then thus asked Akritavrana who was the follower of heroic (Parshu) Rama.
4. “When will the illustrious (Parshu) Rama show himself to the ascetics here? I desire on that occasion to see that descendant of Bhrigu.
Akritavrana said: -
5. Your coming here is already known to Rama whose soul spontaneously knows everything. Rama is pleased with you. He will soon show himself to you.
6. The ascetics see Rama on the fourteenth and eighth day of the lunar month. At the close of this night, the fourteenth day of the lunar course will set in.
Yudhishthira said: -
7. You are a follower of the mighty Rama, the son of Jamadagni; you must have personally seen all the (great) deeds performed by him in the days of yore.
8. Therefore, narrate to us today how the Kshatriyas were vanquished by him in battle and what was the cause of it.
Akritavrana said: -
9-10. O foremost of kings, O descendant of Bharata, I shall with great pleasure narrate to you that excellent story of the celestials-like deeds of Rama, the son of Jamadagni, who was born in the race of Bhrigu. (I shall also narrate the history of) Kartavirya, the king of the Haihayas.
11. The king of the Haihayas, named Arjuna, was killed by Rama. O son of Pandu, he had one thousand arms and seven wonderful weapons.
12. O lord of earth, through the favour of Dattatreya he possessed a golden car. His wealth was the whole earth including all creatures.
13. The car of that illustrious hero could go everywhere in an unobstructed course. Being greatly powerful by having received boons, he on that car.
14. Trampled upon the celestials, the Yakshas and all the Rishis. He always persecuted all creatures wherever they were bound.
15. Thereupon the celestials and the Rishis of great vows all met together; and they thus spoke to the god of gods, the slayer of Asuras, Vishnu of great prowess.
16. “O lord, O exalted one, kill Arjuna to protect all creatures. The lord, the ruler of the Haihayas, on his celestial car.
17. Chastised Vasava (Indra) when he was sporting with Sachi. O descendant of Bharata, thereupon the exalted deity (Vishnu) held a consultation with Sakra (Indra) as how to kill Kartavirja.
18. All that was beneficial to the world was told by the lord of celestials. The exalted one, the adored of all the world, (Vishnu) promising to do all.
19-20. Went to Vadari, his most favourite hermitage. At this very time there lived on earth a mighty king in Kanyakubja, monarch of great prowess, known in the world by the name of Gadhi. But he retired into the forest.
21. When he was living in the forest, a daughter was born to him as beautiful as an Apsara. O descendant of Bharata, Rechika, the son of Bhrigu asked her for marriage.
22. Thereupon Gadhi thus spoke to that Brahmana of rigid vows, “There is a custom in our family, established from the days of yore.
23. O foremost of Brahmanas, know, the bridegroom must give a dowry of one thousand swift and brown coloured and black-eared horses.
24. O son of Bhrigu, O exalted one, you cannot be asked to give (such a dowry). O exalted one, my daughter also cannot be refused (when asked by you). Do what is proper.”
Rechika said: -
25. I shall give you one thousand swift, brown-coloured and black-eared horses. Let your daughter become my wife.
Akritavrana said: -
26-27. O king, having thus promised, he (Rechika) thus spoke to Varuna, “Give me one thousand swift, brown-coloured and black-eared horses to be my dowry. Varuna immediately gave him one thousand (such) horses.
28. The place, where the horses rose from the Ganges in Kanyakubja, is celebrated as the Horse-Tirtha. And then the king bestowed Satyavati (his daughter to Rechika).
29-30. In the marriage of the daughter of Gadhi even the celestials were present. Thus that foremost of Brahmana Rechika obtained one thousand horses. Saw the dwellers of heaven and got a wife according to the ordinance. He then sported with that slender-waisted damsel at pleasure.
31. O king, when the marriage ceremony was over, Bhrigu came to see his excellent son, who with his wife duly worshipped him; and seeing them he (Bhrigu) was greatly pleased.
32. When the preceptor (Bhrigu), the adored of all the celestials, was seated, the husband and wife after duly worshipping him with joined hands stood before him and waited for his command.
33. Thereupon the exalted Bhrigu with a delighted heart thus spoke to his daughter-in-law, “O blessed girl, ask for a boon. I am ready to grant you what you desire.”
34. She gratified the preceptor (Bhrigu) in order to obtain a son for herself and for her mother; and he too granted her desire.
Bhrigu said: -
35. At the time of the season you and your mother after bathing at the proper time must embrace two different trees, she as Ashvatha tree and you a fig tree.
36. O blessed girl, after having ransacked the whole universe these two Charus have been prepared by me with the utmost care.
37. They must be taken with the greatest care.” And he then disappeared. But they made an exchange, both in the case of the Charus and the embracing (of trees).
38. After a long time that exalted Rishi (Bhrigu) again came there. Knowing all by his divine knowledge he again came there.
39-40. Thereupon the greatly effulgent Bhrigu thus spoke to his daughter-in-law Satyavati, “O blessed girl, O maiden of lovely brow, you have taken the wrong Charu and embraced the wrong tree. It was your mother who have deceived you. Your son, though a Brahmana, will adopt the practices of the Kshatryas.
41. The mighty son of your mother, though a Kshatriya, will adopt the practices of a Brahmanas. His power will be great; he will tread the path of the righteous.
42. Thereupon she again and again adored her father-in-law, saying, “Let not my son be of this character; let my grandson be such.”
43. O son of Pandu, he replied, “Be it so;” and he was pleased to grant her prayer. When the proper time came, her son was born, named Jamadagani.
44. This descendant of Bhrigu was endued with both splendour and grace. He grew in years as well as in strength; and he excelled all in the Vedas.
45. O best of the Bharata race, the science of arms with four kinds of weapons rivalling the lustre of the sun spontaneously and without instruction came to him.
Thus ends the hundred and fifteenth chapter, the birth of Jamadagni, in the Tirthayatra of the Vana Parva.