Lomasa Describes Sacred Sites to Yudhishthira

Lomasa turned to Yudhishthira and began to describe what lay ahead. "Behold, with your brothers, the region of Kashmira — sacred in every way, frequented by maharshis (great sages). It was here that a conversation took place between all the rishis from the northern region, Nahusha, Agni, and Kashyapa." He pointed. "The gate to Manasa is evident here — the great lake of the mind, where the gods themselves gather. In the midst of this mountain, the illustrious Rama created a region for rainwater to flow. This is the renowned Vatikashanda, where valour comes from truth. It lies to the north of Videha, and its gate cannot be breached." He continued naming the places as if reading from a living map. "This is the auspicious place named Ujjanaka, where sacrifices of barley were made and where the illustrious rishi Vasishtha lived with Arundhati. This is the lake named Kushavan, where there are one trillion beds of kusha grass. Rukmini's hermitage is here — she conquered her anger and found peace here." Lomasa paused. "O Pandava, you have heard of the great mountain Bhrigutunga, where meditations assemble. You will see it. And you will see the rivers Jala and Upajala, near the Yamuna." Then he told Yudhishthira what had happened there. "Performing a sacrifice there, King Ushinara surpassed Vasava — Indra himself. To know whether the king was an equal of the gods, Vasava and Agni came there. To test the great-souled Ushinara and desirous of granting him a boon, Indra became a hawk and Agni became a dove and came to his sacrifice. As a result of fear from the hawk, the dove alighted on the king's thigh, seeking refuge there. Oppressed by fear, it nestled there." The story hung in the air. The Pandavas stood at the threshold of these sacred places, and the ground beneath them was thick with the memory of what had come before.