Vaishampayana said : Then the of Kunti, the king (Yudhishthira), distinguished for his large gifts, son came to the hermitage of Agastya and lived at Durjaya.

That foremost of eloquent men, the king (Yudhishthira) asked Agastya why Vatapi was killed there by him,

And what was the prowess of that meneating Daitya and why the anger of that highsouled (Rishi) was excited against him.

Lomasha said: O descendant of Kuru, there was a Daitya, named Ilvala in the days of yore in the city of Manimati. He had a younger brother, called Vatapi.

That son of Diti (one day) spoke to an ascetic Brahmana, (saying), “O exalted one, give me a son equal to Indra.”

As that Brahmana did not give him a son equal to Indra, that Asura got exceedingly angry against that Brahmana.

O king of kings, from that day the Asura Ilvala became a destroyer of Brahmanas. Endued as he was with the power of illusion, he made his brother a goat.

Vatapi who was capable of assuming any form at will at once assumed the form of a goat. After being cooked that food was given to the Brahmanas in order to kill them.

For he, whom he (Ilvala) summoned with his voice, would at once come back to him if he had gone even to the abode of Yama.

Thus having transformed Vatapi into a goat and after having cooked his flesh, he fed the Brahmanas and summoned him (back) again.

That powerful (Asura) endued with great power of illusion, that thorn to the Brahmanas, hearing the words loudly uttered by Ilvala,

That great Asura Vatapi, O king, O ruler of earth, would laughingly come out ripping open the sides of these Brahmanas.

O king, having thus fed the Brahmanas again and again, the wicked-minded Daitya Ilvala destroyed the Brahmanas.

The exalted Agastya in the mean-while saw his (dead) ancestors hanging in a pit with their head downwards.

He asked them who were thus hanging, "What is the matter with you?" And those Brahmanas replied, “It is for the want offspring.”

They told him, “We are your forefathers. We are thus hanging in this pit for the want of offspring.

O Agastya, if you beget an excellent son for us, we may then be saved from this hell and you too can acquire the blessed state obtainable by begetting offspring."

To them replied that powerful Rishi observant of truth and morality, "O Pitris. I shall accomplish your desire and remove the fever of your mind.”

Then that illustrious Rishi began to think how to perpetuate his race. He did not find a fit wife in whom he can take his birth as his son.

He then, taking those parts of creatures that are considered beautiful, created an excellent woman with them.

That greatly ascetic Rishi then gave that woman created for him to the king of Vidarbha who was performing great asceticism to beget an offspring.

Taking her birth there, that exalted girl of beautiful face, as effulgent as the lightning, began to grow in body day after day.

O descendant of Bharata, as soon as she was born, seeing her, that ruler of earth, the king of Vidharbha communicated it to the Brahmanas in great joy.

O ruler of earth, all those Brahmanas blessed her and those twice born ones gave her the name of Lopamudra.

O king, possessed with great beauty that blessed girl began to grow quickly like a lotus in water or the blazing flame in a fire.

O king of kings, when she grew youthful, one hundred damsels adorned with ornaments and also one hundred maid-servants, remaining at her command always, waited upon that blessed girl.

Surrounded by these one hundred maidservants and remaining in the midst of these one hundred damsels, that effulgent damsel shone, as the brilliant Rohini (star) in the sky.

When she grew youthful, even then for the fear of the illustrious king none dared ask for her hand, endued as she was with good and excellent manners.

That truthful maiden possessed of beauty like that of an Apsara pleased her father and relatives with her good conduct.

Seeing her attain to puberty, her father, the king of Vidharbha thought in his mind, "To whom shall I give my this daughter?”