SECTION 48
Vaishampayana said, "Rama (as already said) then proceeded to the tirtha
called Vadarapachana where dwelt many ascetics and Siddhas. There the
daughter of Bharadwaja, unrivalled on earth for beauty, named Sruvavati,
practised severe austerities. She was a maiden who led the life of a
Brahmacharini. That beautiful damsel, observing diverse kinds of vows,
practised the austerest of penances, moved by the desire of obtaining the
Lord of the celestials for her husband. Many years passed away, O
perpetuator of Kuru's race, during which that damsel continually observed
those diverse vows exceedingly difficult of being practised by women. The
adorable chastiser of Paka at last became gratified with her in
consequence of that conduct and those penances of hers and that high
regard she showed for him. The puissant Lord of the celestials then came
to that hermitage, having assumed the form of the high-souled and
regenerate Rishi Vasishtha. Beholding that foremost of ascetics,
Vasishtha, of the austerest penances, she worshipped him, O Bharata
according to the rites observed by ascetics. Conversant with vows, the
auspicious and sweet-speeched damsel addressed him, saying, 'O adorable
one, O tiger among ascetics, tell me your commands, O lord! O you of
excellent vows, I shall serve you according to the measure of my might!
I will not, however, give you my hand, in consequence of my regard for
Shakra! I am seeking to please Shakra, the lord of the three worlds, with
vows and rigid observances and ascetic penances!' Thus addressed by her,
the illustrious god, smiling as he cast his eyes on her, and knowing her
observances, addressed her sweetly, O Bharata, saying, 'Thou practisest
penances of the austerest kind! This is known to me, O you of excellent
vows! That object also, cherished in your heart, for the attainment of
which you strivest, O auspicious one, shall, O you of beautiful face,
be accomplished for thee! Everything is attainable by penances.
Everything rests on penances. All those regions of blessedness, O you of
beautiful face, that belong to the gods can be obtained by penances.
Penances are the root of great happiness. Those men that cast off their
bodies after having practised austere penances, obtain the status of
gods, O auspicious one! Bear in mind these words of mine! Do you now, O
blessed damsel, boil these five jujubes, O you of excellent vows!'
Having said these words, the adorable slayer of Vala went away, taking
leave, to mentally recite certain mantras at an excellent tirtha not far
from that hermitage. That tirtha came to be known in the three worlds
after the name of Indra, O giver of honours! Indeed, it was for the
purpose of testing the damsel's devotion that the Lord of the celestials
acted in that way for obstructing the boiling of the jujubes. The damsel,
O king, having cleansed herself, began her task; restraining speech and
with attention fixed on it, she sat to her task without feeling any
fatigue. Even thus that damsel of high vows, O tiger among kings, began
to boil those jujubes. As she sat employed in her task, O bull among men,
day was about to wane, but yet those jujubes showed no signs of having
been softened. The fuel she had there was all consumed. Seeing the fire
about to die away owing to want of fuel, she began to burn her own limbs.
The beautiful maiden first thrust her feet into the fire. The sinless
damsel sat still while her feet began to be consumed. The faultless girl
did not at all mind her burning feet. Difficult of accomplishment, she
did it from desire of doing good to the Rishi (that had been her guest).
Her face did not at all change under that painful process, nor did she
feel any cheerlessness on that account. Having thrust her limbs into the
fire, she felt as much joy as if she had dipped them into cool water. The
words of the Rishi, 'Cook these jujubes well' were borne in her mind, O
Bharata! The auspicious damsel, bearing those words of the great Rishi in
her mind, began to cook those jujubes although the latter, O king, showed
no signs of softening. The adorable Agni himself consumed her feet. For
this, however, the maiden did not feel the slightest pain. Beholding this
act of hers, the Lord of the three worlds became highly satisfied. He
then showed himself in his own proper form to the damsel. The chief of
the celestials then addressed that maiden of very austere vows saying, 'I
am pleased at your devotion, your penances, and your vows! The wish,
therefore, O auspicious one, that you cherishest shall be accomplished!
Casting off your body, O blessed one, you shalt in heaven live with me!
This hermitage, again, shall become the foremost of tirthas in the world,
capable of cleansing from every sin, O you of fair eye-brows, and shall
be known by the name of Vadarapachana. It shall be celebrated in the
three worlds and shall be praised by great Rishis. In this very tirtha, O
auspicious, sinless, and highly blessed one, the seven Rishis had, on one
occasion, left Arundhati, (the wife of one of them), when they went to
Himavat. Those highly blessed ones of very rigid vows, had gone there for
gathering fruits and roots for their sustenance. While they thus lived in
a forest of Himavat for procuring their sustenance, a drought occurred
extending for twelve years. Those ascetics, having made an asylum for
themselves, continued to live there. Meanwhile Arundhati devoted herself
to ascetic penances (at the spot where she had been left). Beholding
Arundhati devoted to the austerest of vows, the boon-giving and
three-eyed deity (Mahadeva) highly pleased, came there. The great
Mahadeva, assuming the form of a Brahmana, came to her and said, 'I
desire alms, O auspicious one!' The beautiful Arundhati said unto him,
'Our store of food hath been exhausted, O Brahmana! Do you eat jujubes!'
Mahadeva replied, 'Cook these jujubes, O you of excellent vows!' After
these words, she began to cook those jujubes for doing what was agreeable
to that Brahmana. Placing those jujubes on the fire, the celebrated
Arundhati listened to diverse excellent and charming and sacred
discourses (from the lips of Mahadeva). That twelve years' drought then
passed away (as if it were a single day). Without food, and employed in
cooking and listening to those auspicious discourses, that terrible
period passed away, as if it were a single day to her. Then the seven
Rishis, having procured fruits from the mountain, returned to that spot.
The adorable Mahadeva, highly pleased with Arundhati, said unto her,
'Approach, as formerly, these Rishis, O righteous one! I have been
gratified with your penances and vows!' The adorable Hara then stood
confessed in his own form. Gratified, he spoke unto them about the noble
conduct of Arundhati (in these words) 'The ascetic merit, the regenerate
ones, that this lady hath earned, is, I think, much greater than what ye
have earned on the breast of Himavat! The penances practised by this lady
have been exceedingly austere, for she passed twelve years in cooking,
herself fasting all the while!' The divine Mahadeva then, addressing
Arundhati, said unto her, 'Solicit you the boon, O auspicious dame,
which is in your heart!' Then that lady of large eyes that were of a
reddish hue addressed that god in the midst of the seven Rishis, saying,
'If, O divine one you are gratified with me, then let this spot be an
excellent tirtha! Let it be known by the name of Vadarapachana and let it
be the favourite resort of Siddhas and celestial Rishis. So also, O god
of gods, let him who observes a fast here and resides for three nights
after having cleansed himself, obtain the fruit of a twelve years' fast!'
The god answered her, saying, 'Let it be so!' Praised by the seven
Rishis, the god then repaired to heaven. Indeed the Rishis had been
filled with wonder at the sight of the god and upon beholding the chaste
Arundhati herself unspent and still possessed of the hue of health and so
capable of bearing hunger and thirst. Even thus the pure-souled
Arundhati, in days of old, obtained the highest success, like thee, O
highly blessed lady, for my sake, O damsel of rigid vows! Thou, however,
O amiable maiden, hast practised severer penances! Gratified with thy
vows, I shall also grant you this special boon, O auspicious one, a boon
that is superior to what was granted to Arundhati. Through the power of
the high-souled god who had granted that boon to Arundhati and through
the energy of thyself, O amiable one, I shall duly grant you another
boon now, that the person who will reside in this tirtha for only one
night and bathe here with soul fixed (on meditation), will, after casting
off his body obtain many regions of blessedness that are difficult of
acquisition (by other means)! Having said these words unto the cleansed
Sruvavati, the thousand-eyed Shakra of great energy then went back to
heaven. After the wielder of the thunderbolt, O king, had departed, a
shower of celestial flowers of sweet fragrance fell there, O chief of
Bharata's race! Celestial kettle-drums also, of loud sound, were beaten
there. Auspicious and perfumed breezes also blew there, O monarch! The
auspicious Sruvavati then, casting off her body, became the spouse of
Indra. Obtaining the status through austere penances, she began to pass
her time, sporting with him for ever and ever."
Janamejaya said, "Who was the mother of Sruvavati, and how was that fair
damsel reared? I desire to hear this, O Brahmana, for the curiosity I
feel is great."
Vaishampayana said, "The vital seed of the regenerate and high-souled
Rishi Bharadwaja fell, upon beholding the large-eyed Apsara Ghritachi as
the latter was passing at one time. That foremost of ascetics thereupon
held it in his hand. It was then kept in a cup made of the leaves of a
tree. In that cup was born the girl Sruvavati. Having performed the usual
post-genital rites, the great ascetic Bharadwaja, endued with wealth of
penances, gave her a name. The name the righteous-souled Rishi gave her
in the presence of the gods and Rishis was Sruvavati. Keeping the girl in
his hermitage, Bharadwaja repaired to the forests of Himavat. That
foremost one among the Yadus, Baladeva of great dignity, having bathed in
that tirtha and given away much wealth unto many foremost of Brahmanas,
then proceeded, with soul well-fixed on meditation, to the tirtha of
Sakta."
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 48 ---------------------
