(Arjuna-vanavasa Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Then that bull of Bharata's race went to the sacred
waters on the banks of the southern ocean, all adorned with the ascetics
residing there. And there lay scattered five such regions where also dwelt
many ascetics. But those five waters themselves were shunned by all of
them. Those sacred waters were called Agastya, and Saubhadra and Pauloma
of great holiness, and Karandhama of great propitiousness yielding the
fruits of a horse-sacrifice unto those that bathed there, and Bharadwaja,
that great washer of sins. That foremost one among the Kurus, beholding
those five sacred waters, and finding them uninhabited, and ascertaining
also that they were shunned by the virtuous ascetics dwelling around,
asked those pious men with joined hands, saying, "Why O ascetics, are
these five sacred waters shunned by utterers of Brahma?" Hearing him, the
ascetics replied, "There dwell in these waters five large crocodiles which
take away the ascetics that may happen to bathe in them. It is for this, O
son of Kuru's race, that these waters are shunned."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of the ascetics, that
foremost of men endued with mighty arms, though dissuaded by them went to
behold those waters. Arrived at the excellent sacred water called
Saubhadra after a great Rishi, the brave scorcher of all foes suddenly
plunged into it to have a bath. As soon as that tiger among men had
plunged into the water a great crocodile (that was in it) seized him by
the leg. But the strong-armed Dhananjaya the son of Kunti, that foremost
of all men endued with might, seized that struggling ranger of the water
and dragged it forcibly to the shore. But dragged by the renowned Arjuna
to the land, that crocodile became (transformed into) a beautiful damsel
bedecked with ornament. O king, that charming damsel of celestial form
seemed to shine for her beauty and complexion. Dhananjaya, the son of
Kunti, beholding that strange sight, asked that damsel with a pleased
heart, "Who art thou, O beautiful one? Why hast thou been a ranger of the
waters? Why also didst thou commit such a dreadful sin?" The damsel
replied, saying, "I am, O mighty-armed one, an Apsara that sported in the
celestial woods. I am, O mighty one, Varga by name, and ever dear unto the
celestial treasurer (Kuvera). I have four other companions, all handsome
and capable of going everywhere at will. Accompanied by them I was one day
going to the abode of Kuvera. On the way we beheld a Brahmana of rigid
vows, and exceedingly handsome, studying the Vedas in solitude. The whole
forest (in which he was sitting) seemed to be covered with his ascetic
splendour. He seemed to have illuminated the whole region like the Sun
himself. Beholding his ascetic devotion of that nature and his wonderful
beauty, we alighted in that region, in order to disturb his meditations.
Myself and Saurabheyi and Samichi and Vudvuda and Lata, that Brahmana, O
Bharata, at the same time. We began to sing and smile and otherwise tempt
that Brahmana. But, O hero, that Brahmana (youth) set not his heart even
once upon us. His mind fixed on pure meditation, that youth of great
energy suffered not his heart to waver, O bull among Kshatriyas, the
glance he cast upon us was one of wrath. And he said, staring at us,
'Becoming crocodiles, range ye the waters for a hundred years.'"'"