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30.AGASTYA
THE brahmanas, who had been with
Yudhishthira in Indraprastha, had
followed him to the forest. It was difficult
to maintain such a large establishment.
Some time after Arjuna had gone on his
quest of Pasupata, a brahmana sage named
Lomasa came to the abode of the
Pandavas.
He advised Yudhishthira to minimize his
retinue before going on pilgrimage as it
would be difficult to move freely from
place to place with a large following.
Yudhishthira, who had long felt that
difficulty, announced to his followers that
such of them, as were unaccustomed to
hardship and to hard and scanty fare and
those who had followed merely in token
of loyalty, might return to Dhritarashtra
or, if they preferred it, go to Drupada, the
King of Panchala.
Later, with a greatly reduced retinue, the
Pandavas started on a pilgrimage to holy
places, acquainting themselves with the
stories and traditions relating to each. The
story of Agastya was one such.
Agastya, it is said, once saw some
ancestral spirits dangling head down and
asked them who they were and how they
had come to be in that unpleasant plight.
They replied: "Dear child, we are your
ancestors. If you discharge not your debt
to us by marrying and begetting progeny,
there will be no one after you to offer us
oblations. We have, therefore, resorted to
this austerity, in order to persuade you to
save us from this peril."
When Agastya heard this, he decided to
marry.
The king of the country of Vidarbha was
childless and, so, careworn. He repaired to
Agastya to get his blessing. In granting
him the boon, Agastya announced that the
king would be the father of a beautiful
girl, who, he stipulated should be given in
marriage to him.
Soon the queen gave birth to a girl who
was named Lopamudra.
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