Vaishampayana said Rama then proceeded to the Tirtha called Vadarapachana where dwell many ascetics and Siddhas, there the daughter of Bharadvaja on was of a peerless Earth for beauty, named Shruvavati, practised severe austerities. She maiden who led the life Brahmacharini.

That beautiful damsel, observing various 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 chief of Kuru's race, during which that damsel continually practised those various kinds of vows exceedingly difficult for women to practise.

The worshipful chastiser of Paka at last became pleased with her, for her penances and reverence shown to him.

The powerful Lord of the celestials then came to that hermitage, having assumed the form of the great Rishi Vashishtha.

Seeing that best of ascetics, viz., Vashishtha, of the austerest penances, she adored him, O Bharata, according to the rites observed by ascetics.

Conversant with vows, the auspicious and sweet-speeched damsel addressed him, saying-"O worshipful one, O foremost of ascetics, tell me your commands, O lord.

O you of excellent vows, I shall serve you, as much as I can. I will, however, not be able to marry you, for I seek Shakra.

I am propitiating 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 looked at her and knowing her observances, addressed her sweetly, saying "Your practices of penances is known to me, O you of excellent vows, the object cherished in your heart, for which you have been trying your best, O auspicious one, shall, be accomplished. Everything attained by penances. Everything depends on penances.

All those sacred regions, O you beautiful damsel, that belong to the gods can be obtained by penances. Penances are the root of great happiness.

Those men that renounce their bodies after having practised austere penances, obtain the status of gods, O auspicious one. Remember these words of mine.

Do you now, O blessed damsel, boil these five jujubes, O you of excellent vows.' Having said these words, the worshipful slayer of Vala went away, taking leave, to recite mentally certain mantras at an excellent Tirtha not far from that herinitage. That Tirtha passed in the three worlds after the name of Indra, O giver of honours.

Indeed, It was for testing the damsel's devotion that the king of the celestials acted in that way for obstructing the boiling of the jujubes.

The damsel, O king, having purified himself, began her task; restraining speech and with fixed attention, she sat to her task, without experiencing the least fatigue.

Thus that damsel of high vows, O best of kings, began to boil those jujubes. As she sat cmployed in her work, O foremost of men, day was almost gone, yet those jujubes showed no signs of softening.

The fuel she had there was all consumed. Seeing the fire about to extinguish owing to want of fuel, she began to burn her own limbs.

The beautiful maiden first dropped her feet into the fire. The innocent damsel sat still while her feet began to be consumed.

The beautiful girl did not at all mind her burning feet. Though it was a hard work, she did it from desire of doing good to the Rishi that had been her guest.

Her face did not at all change its colour under its agony, nor did she fell sorrow for it. Having thrust her limbs into the fire, she felt as much joy as if she had put them into cool water.

The words of the Rishi, viz.-Cook these jujubes well-were remembered by her, O Bharata.

The auspicious damsel, recollecting those words of the great Rishi, began to cook those jujubes although the latter, O king, showed no signs of softening.

The worshipful Agni himself consumed her feet. For this, however, the maiden did not feel the slightest pain.

Beholding this act of her, the lord of the three worlds, became highly pleased. He then appeared in his own proper form before the damsel.

The king of the celestials then addressed that maiden of very austere vows, saying-"I am pleased with your devotion, penances and VOWS.

Your wish, therefore, O auspicious one, shall be accomplished. Renouncing body, O blessed one, you shall 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 eyebrows and shall pass by the name of Vadarapachana. It shall be celebrated in the three worlds and shall be lauded by great Rishis.

In this very Tirtha, O auspicious, sinless and highly blessed one, the seven Rishis had once left Arundhati (the wife of one of them) while they went to Himavat.

Those regenerate ones, of very rigid vows, had gone there for collecting fruits and roots for their sustenance.

While they thus lived in a forest of Himavat for procuring their food, a drought took place extending for twelve years.

Those ascetics, having made a hermitage for themselves, continued to live there. Meanwhile Arundhati devoted herself to ascetic penances.

Beholding Arundhati practising the austerest of vows, the boon-giving and threecyed deity Mahadeva, highly gratified, came there.

Assuming the form of a Brahmana, the illustrious Mahadeva, came to her and said-I desire almas, O auspicious one!

The beautiful Arundhati said to him-Our food has been exhausted, O Brahmana. Do thou eat jujubes.

Mahadeva replied-Cook these jujubes, O you of excellent vows. After these words, she began to cook those jujubes for pleasing that Brahmana,

Placing those jujubes on the fire, the celebrated Arundhati listened to to various excellent and sound and sacred discourses (from the lips of Mahadeva). That twelve years, drought then passed away.

Without food and employed in cooking and listening to those sacred topics, that terrible period passed away as if like a single day.

Having collected fruits from the mountain, the seven Rishis returned there. The wonderful Mahadeva, highly pleased with Arundhati, said to her-Approach, as formerly, these Rishis, O righteous one! I have been satisfied with your penances and vows.

The adorable Hara appeared there in his own form. Pleased, he spoke to them about the noble conduct of Arundhati (in these words).

The ascetic merit, you Rishis, that this lady has acquired, is, I think, much greater than what you have earned on the breast of Himavat!

The penances practised by this lady have been highly austere, for she passed twelve years in cooking, herself fasting all the time.

Then, addressing Arundhati, Mahadeva said, Pray for any boon, O auspicious dame, you like.

Then that lady of large and red eyes addressed that god in the midst of the seven Rishis, saying-If, O divine one, you are pleased with me, then let this place be an excellent Tirtha. Let it be known by the name of Vadarapachana and let it be the favorite resort of Siddhas and celestial Rishis!

May he, O god of gods, who observes a fast livre and lives for three nights after having purified himself, obtain the fruit of a twelve years fast.

The gods answered her, saying-Let it be so. Lauded by the seven Rishis, the god then went to heaven.

Indeed, the Rishis has been stricken with wonder on seeing the god and the chaste Arundhati herself as hale and hearty and capable of bearing hunger and thirst.

Thus the pure-souled Arundhati, formerly, obtained the highest success, like you, O highly blessed lady, for my sake, O damsel of rigid Vows!

O amiable maiden, you have practised severer penances. Gratified with your vows, I shall also grant you this especial boon, O auspicious one, a boon that is superior to what was granted to Arundhati. Through the power of the great god who had granted that boon to Arundhati and through your own energy, O amiable one, I shall duly grant you another boon now, viz., that the person who will live in this Tirtha for only one night and bathe here with his mind concentrated, will, after renouncing his body, obtain many blissful regions that are difficult of acquisition.

Having said these words of the pure Shrutavati, the thousand-eyed Shakra then went back to heaven.

After the wielder of the thunderbolt, O king, had gone, a shower of celestial flowers of sweet fragrance fell there, O Bharata's chief.

Celestial kettle-drums also, of loud sound, were beat there. Auspicious and perfumed breezes also blew there, O king.

The auspicious Shrutavati then renouncing her body, became the wife of Indra. Obtaining that dignity through austere penances, she began to pass her time, sporting with him."

Janamejaya said "Who was the mother of Shrutavati and how was that fair damsel brought up. I desire to hear this, O Brahmana, for great is my curiosity."

Vaishampayana said "The vital seed of the great Rishi Bharadvaja fell upon beholding the large eyed Apsara Ghritachi as the latter was passing by at one time.

That foremost of ascetics thereupon held it in his hand. It was then kept in a cup made of the Icaves of a tree. In that cup was born the girl Shruvavati.

Having performed the usual birth rites, the great ascetic Bharadvaja, gave her a name.

The name the pious Rishi gave her on the presence of the gods and Rishis was Shruvavati. Leaving the girl in his hermitage, Bharadvaja went to the forest of Himavat.

That best of the Yadus, the heroic Baladeva, of great dignity, having bathed in that Tirtha and distributed much wealth amongst the Brahmanas, then went with a concentrated mind to the Tirtha of Shakra.'