The illustrious man, who was in deep Tapa, at the point of the Shula, kept up his life and brought other Rishis there by his ascetic power. O descendant of the Bharata race, they came in the night in the forms of birds; and seeing him engaged in Tapa (ascetic meditation), though fixed on the Shula, they were extremely aggrieved. Having shown themselves in their own forms, they asked that excellent Brahmana
धारयामास च प्राणानृषींश्च समुपानयत्। शूलाग्रे तप्यमानेन तपस्तेन महात्मना॥ संतापं परमं जग्मुर्मुनयस्तपसान्विताः। ते रात्रौ शकुना भूत्वा संनिपत्य तु भारत। दर्शयन्तो यथाशक्ति तमपृच्छन् द्विजोत्तमम्॥