Janamejaya said:—O disciple of Vyāsa, O you conversant with the tenets
of religion, O you having asceticism for your wealth, O Vaishampayana,
while giving an account of the carrying away of the Pārijāta tree, you
have mentioned Shatpura, the abode of the dreadful Asuras. O foremost of
ascetics and Munis, do you describe at present the destruction of those
Asuras and Andhakas (1-5).
Vaishampāyana said:—Even after the heroic Tripura had been slain by the
energetic Rudra there remained many leading Asuras. There not less than
sixty hundred thousands of Asuras, the followers of Tripura, were
scorched by the fire of Rudra’s arrows. O foremost of kings, stricken
with grief consequent upon the destruction of their kith and kin those
heroes, with their face towards the sun and living upon air, carried on
penances for a hundred of thousands years and adored Brahmā in the
insular continent, Jamvu, a favourite resort of the pious and great
saints (5–6). Taking shelter under a fig tree some of them carried on
hard austerities; some, under the _Kapitha_ tree and some living in the
dens of jackals engaged in hard austerities (7-8). O descendant of Kuru,
some of those Asuras, resorting to the root of a fig tree, learnt
spiritual science, and carried on Tapas (9). O king, pleased with those
penances of theirs, the foremost of the celestials, the Creator Brahmā,
the best of the pious, came down there to offer them boons (10).
Requested by the lotus-sprung deity, saying "Pray for a boon" they did
not pray for any on account of their malice against the Lord Tramvaka
(11). When, O descendant of Kuru, they expressed their desire of
wrecking vengeance for the destruction of their kinsmen the omniscient
Grand-father said:—"The lord Maheswara, with the goddess Umā, is without
birth, middle and destruction. He is the creator and destroyer of the
whole universe. Who is therefore capable of injuring them? It is an
useless task. Renouncing your malice against him do you wish to live
happily in the city of the celestials" (12-14).
Thus addressed by Brahmā many wicked-souled Asuras did not yield: but
some of them, who knew Bhava’s powers, expressed their willingness. The
Grand-father said to the reluctant and wicked Asuras:—"O heroic Asuras,
except your vengeance against Rudra do you pray for any other boon"
(15-16).
Hearing it they said "O lord, may we become unslayable by all the gods.
May we establish six cities under the earth: and they will pass by the
name of _Satpura_. O lord, going to those six cities we will live there
happily. O thou having asceticism for thy wealth, beholding Tripura
slain we have been greatly stricken with fear. Do thou so arrange that
we may have no fear from Rudra by whom all our kinsmen have been slain
(17-19)."
The Grand-father said:—O Asuras, if you do not throw obstacles in the
way of the Brāhmanas, fond of the pious and wending fair ways you will
be unslayable by the gods and Sankara (20). If out out of ignorance you
happen to injure the Brāhmanas you will meet with destruction for they
are the most excellent refuge of the world (21). If you injure the
Brāhmanas you shall have to fear Narayana for the Lord Janārddana
encompasses the well-being of all creatures (22).
O king, thereupon dismissed by the Grand-father the Asuras went away.
Seated on the white bull along with the goddess Umā accompanied by his
followers, the Lord, Himself, the Divine Slayer of Tripura, and the
refuge of the pious, appeared before those virtuous Asuras who were his
followers and said (23–24):—
"May good betide you, O foremost of Asuras. Casting off enmity, pride
and malice you have sought refuge with me. I am therefore ready to grant
you a boon. I have been pleased with your actions. Do you repair to the
celestial region along with the twice-born ones ever engaged in good
works, by whom you have been initiated (25–26). The ascetics, conversant
with the knowledge of Brahman, who will even live under this Kapithwa
tree, will attain to my region. The hermits, who with ascetic rites will
adore me for a month or a fortnight, will attain to the fruit of
asceticism carried on for a thousand years. If they worship me for three
nights they will attain to the desired-for region. If a man, living in
the insular continent of Arka, worships me in this way he will reap
two-fold fruits; but a man living in a hostile country will gain
nothing. He, who will adore me here as _Sweta-Vahana_ (having a white
bull for carrier) will attain me even if his mind is possessed by fear
(27-31). The men, who are virtuous, firm in devotion and who worship
especially the Munis who live under fig-trees and in the dens of
jackals, will attain to their desired-for regions (32-33)".
O great king, having said this the Divine, Swetavāhana, Mahādeva,
repaired to Rudraloka along with them. What more, those even, who merely
resolve "I shall go to Jamvudwipa, I shall live there," arrive at the
region of Rudra (34-35).