Aṣṭāvakra and the goddess of the North”). § 731b
(Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 19 ff.: Bhīṣma said: In days of
yore Aṣṭāvakra (of severe penances) asked Ṛ. Vadānya for
his beautiful daughter Suprabhā. Vadānya first caused him to
make a journey to the North, indicating the road: (1) Himavat
(peopled by Si. and Cā.); (2) the sacred river Bāhudā,
where he bathed in one of the tīrthas, etc. (description),
and worshipped Rudra and Umā; (3) Kailāsa, where he saw
a golden gate, etc. (α), and was honoured by Kubera among
Y. (with Maṇibhadra), G., and K., and where Aps. (β) danced;
there he remained a celestial year; (4) having crossed
Kailāsa and Mandara as also the golden mountains, he came
to the region where Mahādeva resides attired as an ascetic,
Pārṣadas of which are frolicsome and fond of dance and
possessed of faces of diverse forms, which was peopled by Si.,
Cā., and Pc., where Umā had practised austerities for the sake
of [obtaining] Śiva; where, in days of yore, on the Mahāpārśva
[mountain] (to the north of the god) the Seasons, etc. (αʹ),
in their material forms had adored Mahādeva; (5) a beautiful
forest (description), where the river Mandākinī was seen,
with an old and decrepit female ascetic (with many beautiful
maidens), who in vain tempted him with love (XIII, 19),
at last appearing in a beautiful form (XIII, 20). She
turned out to be the goddess of the North (Uttarāṃ diśaṃ),
who, having been gratified by Ṛ. Vadānya, had devised this
trial and now instructed him, showing him the levity of
women, even when aged; “thou hast subjugated all the
worlds by thy strength of mind; thy journey back will not
be irksome thou wilt obtain the wife thou hast chosen;
she will bear thee a son.” Aṣṭāvakra came back to his
own abode, and then to Vadānya, who wedded him to the
girl. There he continued to dwell joyously in his own
hermitage (XIII, 21).