well-pleased with thee. O Vrikodara, to-day I have been freed from a
terrible curse. For some offence, that great Rishi, Agastya, had cursed
me in anger. Thou hast delivered me by this act (of thine). O Pandu's
son, my disgrace had ere this been fated. No offence, therefore, in any
way, attaches unto thee, O Pandava.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'O divine one, why wast thou cursed by the
high-souled Agastya? O god, I am curious to hear about the occasion of
that imprecation. I wonder that at that very moment, thou together with
thy forces and attendants wast not consumed by the ire of that
intelligent one.'

"Thereupon the lord of treasures said, 'At Kusasthali, O king, once
there was held a conclave of the gods. And surrounded by grimvisaged
Yakshas, numbering three hundred maha-padmas, carrying various weapons,
I was going to that place. And on the way, I saw that foremost of sages,
Agastya, engaged in the practice of severe austerities on the bank of
the Yamuna, abounding in various birds and graced with blossoming trees.
And, O king, immediately on seeing that mass of energy, flaming and
brilliant as fire, seated with upraised arms, facing the sun, my friend,
the graceful lord of the Rakshasas, Maniman, from stupidity,
foolishness, hauteur and ignorance discharged his excrement on the crown
of that Maharshi. Thereupon, as if burning all the cardinal points by
his wrath, he said unto me, "Since, O lord of treasures, in thy very
presence, disregarding me, this thy friend hath thus affronted me, he,
together with thy forces, shall meet with destruction at the hands of a
mortal. And, O wicked-minded one, thou also, being distressed on account
of thy fallen soldiers, shalt be freed from thy sin, on beholding that
mortal. But if they follow thy behests, their (the soldier's) powerful
sons shall not incur by this dreadful curse. This curse I received