TEN YEARS PASS

On no account, according to ancient rule, could one refuse such an invitation. The rishis therefore had to accept the invitation. To them Ilvala served as food his brother Vaataapi cut up and cooked lusciously and after the unsuspecting guests had eaten

the meat, the host would, according to custom, ask the guests, "Are you satisfied?" The answer would be "Yes. We are content." Then, IIvala would shout, "Vaataapi Come out!" And at the call of l1vala, Vaataapi reunited into life would come out tearing the bowels of the guests. Many rishis had to die in this way.

One day, Ilvala tried to play this trick on Agastya. As usual, Vaataapi entered Agastya's entrails as meat. Agastya of course knew this, but he was a devotee of Ganapati and had obtained the power to digest the raakshasa.

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