"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."'"