“Lomasa continued, ‘When Agastya thought that girl to be competent for
the duties of domesticity, he approached that lord of earth-the ruler of
Vidharbhas-and addressing him, said, ‘I solicit thee, O king, to bestow
thy daughter Lopamudra on me.’ Thus addressed by the Muni, the king of
the Vidharbhas swooned away. And though unwilling to give the Muni his
daughter, he dared not refuse. And that lord of earth then, approaching
his queen, said, ‘This Rishi is endued with great energy. If angry, he
may consume me with the fire of his curse. O thou of sweet face, tell me
what is thy wish.” Hearing these words of the king, she uttered not a
word. And beholding the king along with the queen afflicted with sorrow,
Lopamudra approached them in due time and said, O monarch, it behoveth
thee not to grieve on my account. Bestow me on Agastya, and, O father,
save thyself, by giving me away.’ And at these words of his daughter, O
monarch, the king gave away Lopamudra unto the illustrious Agastya with
due rites. And obtaining her as wife, Agastya addressed Lopamudra,
saying, ‘Cast thou away these costly robes and ornaments.’ And at these
words of her lord, that large-eyed damsel of thighs tapering as the stem
of the plantain tree cast away her handsome and costly robes of fine
texture. And casting them away she dressed herself in rags and barks and
deerskins, and became her husband’s equal in vows and acts. And
proceeding then to Gangadwara that illustrious and best of Rishis began
to practise the severest penances along with his helpful wife. And
Lopamudra herself, well pleased, began to serve her lord from the deep
respect that she bore him. And the exalted Agastya also began to manifest
great love for his wife.
“After a considerable time, O king, the illustrious Rishi one day beheld
Lopamudra, blazing in ascetic splendour come up after the bath in her
season. And pleased with the girl, for her services, her purity, and self
control, as also with her grace and beauty, he summoned her for marital
intercourse. The girl, however, joining her hands, bashfully but lovingly
addressed the Rishi, saying, ‘The husband, without doubt, weddeth the
wife for offspring. But it behoveth thee, O Rishi, to show that love to
me which I have for thee. And it behoveth thee, O regenerate one, to
approach me on a bed like to that which I had in the palace of my father.
I also desire that thou shouldst be decked in garlands of flowers and
other ornaments, and that I should approach thee adorned in those
celestial ornaments that I like. Otherwise, I cannot approach thee,
dressed in these rags dyed in red. Nor, O regenerate Rishi, it is sinful
to wear ornaments (on such an occasion).’ Hearing these words of his
wife, Agastya replied, ‘O blessed girl, O thou of slender waist, I have
not wealth like what thy father hath, O Lopamudra!’ She answered saying,
‘Thou who art endued with wealth of asceticism, art certainly able to
bring hither within a moment, by ascetic power, everything that exists in
the world of men.’ Agastya said, ‘It is even so as thou hast said. That,
however, would waste my ascetic merit. O bid me do that which may not
loosen my ascetic merit.’ Lopamudra then said, ‘O thou endued with wealth
of asceticism, my season will not last long, I do not desire, however, to
approach thee otherwise. Nor do I desire to diminish thy (ascetic) merit
in any way. It behoveth thee, however, to do as I desire, without
injuring thy virtue.’
“‘Agastya then said, ‘O blessed girl, if this be the resolve that thou
hast settled in thy heart, I will go out in quest of wealth. Meanwhile,
stay thou here as it pleaseth thee.’”