Indra kills Vritta

Yudhistira asked the sage What was done with the body of the sage?
The sage said - the bones were taken to the celestial architect who decided to form a weapon from the bones of the sage.
A Vajra was formed and given to Indra. Indra attacked the asura. A fight started between the Gods and the asuras. Climbing on his elephant, Indra attacked the asura with his Vajra. Seeing Indra, the asura increased his size, and started swallowing all the Gods. Indra asked Vishnu for help. Vishnu gave his blessing.
In that fight, Indra killed Vritta using the Vajra. The army of Vritta seeing him dead, fled and hid in the ocean.

Dadhichi donates his body

Yudhistira said - I have heard Agastya had drunk up the ocean. How did that happen?

Lomesh continued - In the earlier days, there was a asura called Vritta. He managed to create an army of ferocious Danavas and asuras and with he attacked all. Indra, leading the Gods went to Brahma and asked how would they be relieved from this menace.

Brahma said I had been thinking of this for a long time. This asura will not be destroyed by any ordinary weapon. Approach the sage Dadhichi. If he is pleased with you, he will donate his body to you. Use his bones then to make a weapon called the Vajra, and using that, Indra is to kill the asura.

The Gods went to Dadhichi, who asked them the reason for their visit. When the Gods expressed their wish, Dadhichi gladly left his body. 

Vindhya humbled

Lomesh said to Yudhistira, Hear me, when I tell you how the sage dispelled the great darkness.
Off the great mountains, the Sun went around the mountain Sumeru. This hurt the ego of the Vindhya mountain. He asked the sun to go around him also. The Sun said he went where he had been told to go, the creator.
This angered Vindhya. He said I will see how you go around someone else. Saying this, the mountain began increasing its size till the Sun's rays were not visible on the other side.

The Gods appealed to the mountain but he would not listen. Having no other option, they went to Agastya and asked him to help.

Agastya went to Vindhya. Seeing Agastya, the mountain bowed down at him. Agastya smiled and said, I am going southwards. Till the time I return, remain in this position.

Saying this, the sage went southwards and never returned back, and not able to refuse Agastya, the mountain remained in that position, and the universe was saved. 

Ilvala and Vatapi

Pandavas reached the forest of Naimasha and from there, having bathed in the river Gomati they went towards Prayag where Yamuna meets Ganga. There, they reached the ashrama of the sage Agastya. Lomesh said to the Pandavas, this is where Agastya killed demons and setup his abode. Listen while I tell you about Agastya.

One day, the sage saw his deceased ancestors hanging in a pit, upside down. Agastya asked them why they were in the pit, and that too upside down.

The ancestors  said they were in this position as he, Agastya, was a celibate and did not have any children.

Agastya decided to get married, but to whom? After much thinking, he decided that the princess of Vidharba, Lopamudra, was the person who would be his wife.

In Vidharba, the king was wondering, who would be the fit husband for his daughter. Agastya then came there. The king asked him for the reason of his visit. The sage said he wanted Lopamudra as his wife. The king did not know what to say. He went to his queen and asked for her advice. Lopamudra, hearing this, went to her parents and said Do not grieve for me. Give my hand to Agastya.

The king agreed and with all rituals, he gave away Lopamudra to Agastya. Agastya asked Lopamudra to discard her royal clothes and jewels and take the garb of an sage's wife. Lopamudra immediately did so.

Agastya took Lopamudra with him and lived on the banks of Ganges. One day he said to his wife, I married you to get children. What is the use of our marriage, if we do not have any children.

Lopamudra, with folded hands, said My Lord, As per the rules of nature, physical intimacy is needed to have children. If you want to arouse passion, then give me royal clothes and jewels. Wearing those, my beauty will arouse you and then a child could be born.

Agastya then approached a king called Shutarva and asked for wealth. The king said there was little he could spare. He said there were two demons Ilvala and Vatapi. They were cunning demons who were well versed in magic. Vatapi took the form of a goat and the same was fed to sages. Then Ilvala would call out to Vatapi, and Vatapi would come out tearing the stomach of the sages and the people who had eaten the meat thus killing those people, thereby robbing them.

Agastya decided to teach them a lesson. He went alone to the house of Ilvala. When Ilvala asked him the reason for the visit, the sage he was tired and hungry. Ilvala said he would feed him lamb and asked him to wait. Ilvala had Vatapi take the form of a lamb, which was offered to Agastya. The sage said he wanted to have the whole lamb with skin and bones, leaving nothing out. The wishes of the sage was complied with.  The sage ate up everything.

Ilvala then started calling out to Vatapi., Agastya smiled and said Vatapi had been digested and would never come out. Ilvala, bowing down to the sage, asked what he could do. The sage said Give up violence. Give me all the wealth you have accumulated.

Ilvala brought all the wealth out.

The sage brought the wealth over to his wife. Seeing his wife decked up, the sage's passion was aroused. The sage asked what she wanted, and Lopamudra said she wanted only one son.

Soon a son was born to them.

Lomesh rishi visits the Pandavas

The sage said to Janmajeya - Listen, O descendant of Parkshit. When the four sons of Pandu were in the Kamya forest, the sage Lomesh came to see them. The brothers worshiped the sage and asked him the reason for his arrival.
The sage said When I went to see Indra one day, I saw Arjuna sitting on the throne of Indra. When I asked Indra about this, Indra asked me to tell you that Arjuna is fine. When his learning is over, he will join you. Arjuna has served Shiva and has got his blessings. He has gained the knowledge of the great Pashupati weapon. All the Gods have given their weapons to Arjuna.

Continuing, the sage said I have been asked to tell you that you should be going on a pilgrimage and should visit the pilgrim places. I have come to take you around the great pilgrim spots. I have been there a few times and will go again along with you. You will get your kingdom back.

Pleased to hear the news of Arjuna, the Pandavas and Draupadi agreed to go on a pilgrimage with the sage. 

Narada talks about the pilgrim spots

In the forest, the Pandavas were visited by Narada. The Pandavas worshiped him and gave him a place to sit. Draupadi also made her offerings to the sage.

Narada said In the earlier days, Bhishma had performed the Satyavrata vow. He was in the forest, making offerings to the departed ancestors when he met the sage Pulastya. Approaching the sage, Bhishma said I am freed of my sins by seeing you.

The sage was pleased to hear this and asked Bhishma what he wanted. Bhishma said he wanted to know about the greatness of the pilgrim sites.

The sage said - One who had full control over his words and actions would get the full merit of the pilgrim site. The person should not be greedy and should have control over anger.

The sacrifices can be performed by the rich or by the kings. If the poor man visits the pilgrim site and fasts and takes the name of God, he will get the merits of the sacrifices.

There is a pilgrim spot called Pushkara. If someone has a bath in the lake, in this holy spot, all his sins will be washed away.

The second most important pilgrim spot is Dwaravati. Taking the name of God here, one gets saved from the clutches of Yama.

The next spot is Kurkshetra, taking the name of the place itself absolves the sins of the resource. Then one goes to the place called Vara where the great Varaha was born.

The next is placte called Ramarishi. Parashurama had bathed here after killing the khastriyas.

The next is the place called Kapila where people who bathe, go the realm of the Sun.

Having mentioned these places, Narada left.

Yudhistira then wanted to visit these pilgrim spots. 

Pandavas miss Arjuna

Janmajeya then asked the sage - How did the Pandavas live, when Arjuna was not there.
The sage said -
The Pandavas were sad and cheerless all the time.

Draupadi said to Yudhistira - I feel restless not seeing Arjuna.

All the pandavas agreed that, without Arjuna, they had no joy there in their daily life in the forest.