h reference to these wonderful
things.

"Lomasa said, 'O slayer of foes! O king! I am going to tell thee as we
heard it before; do thou attend to the same with intent mind. In this
peak of Rishava, there was once a saint known by that name. And his life
had lasted for many hundred years. And he was devoted to penances and
was greatly wrathful. And he, forsooth, for having been spoken to by
others, from wrath addressed the hill thus, "Whoever should utter any
words here, thou must throw stones at him, and thou must call up the
winds to prevent him from making any noise." This was what the saint
said. And so at this place, as soon as a man utters any words, he is
forbidden by a roaring cloud. O king! thus these deeds were performed by
that great saint, and from wrath he also forbade other acts. O king!
tradition says that when the gods of yore had come to the Nanda,
suddenly came over (there) a number of men to look at the celestials.
Those same gods at whose head stood Indra did not, however, like to be
seen; and so they rendered this spot inaccessible, by raising
obstructions in the form of hills. And from that day forward, O Kunti's
son! men could not cast their eyes at any time on what looked like a
hill, far less could they ascend the same. This big mountain is
incapable of being seen by one who hath not led an austere life, nor can
such a one ascend it. Therefore, O son of Kunti! keep thou thy tongue
under control. Here at that time all those gods performed the best
sacrificial rites. O Bharata's son! Even up to this day these marks
thereof may be seen. This grass here hath the form of the sacred _kusa_
grass: the ground here seemeth to be overspread with the sacred grass;
and, O lord of men! many of these trees here look like the spots for
tying the sacrificial beasts. O Bharata's son! still the Gods and saints
have residence here; and their sacred fire is observed in the morning
and in the evening. Here if one bathes, his sin is forthwith destroyed,
O Kunti's son! O most praiseworthy of the race of Kuru! do thou,
therefore, perform thy ablutions, together with thy younger brothers.
Then after having washed thyself in the Nanda, thou wilt repair to the
river Kausiki, the spot where the most excellent and severest form of
penances was practised by Viswamitra.' Then the king with his
attendants, having washed his body there, proceeded to the river
Kausiki, which was pure and delightful and pleasant with cool water.