worshipping this ascetic.  This idle mendicant, however, hath not yet spoken to me a single word!’ Having thought of this, the blessed Devala proceeded to the shores of the ocean, journeying through the welkin and bearing his earthen jug with him.  Arrived at the coast of the Ocean, that lord of rivers, O Bharata, the righteous-souled Devala saw Jaigishavya arrived there before him.  The lord Asita, at this sight, became filled with wonder and thought within himself, ’How could the mendicant come to the ocean and perform his ablutions even before my arrival?’ Thus thought the great Rishi Asita.  Duly performing his ablutions there and purifying himself thereby, he then began to silently recite the sacred mantras.  Having finished his ablutions and silent prayers, the blessed Devala returned to his asylum, O Janamejaya, bearing with him his earthen vessel filled with water.  As the ascetic, however, entered his own asylum, he saw Jaigishavya seated there.  The great ascetic Jaigishavya never spoke a word to Devala, but lived in the latter’s asylum as if he were a piece of wood.  Having beheld that ascetic, who was an ocean of austerities, plunged in the waters of the sea (before his own arrival there), Asita now saw him returned to his hermitage before his own return.  Witnessing this power, derived through Yoga, of Jaigishavya’s penances, Asita Devala, O king, endued with great intelligence, began to reflect upon the matter.  Indeed that best of ascetics, O monarch, wondered much, saying, ‘How could this one be seen in the ocean and again in my hermitage?’ While absorbed in such thoughts, the ascetic Devala, conversant with mantras, then soared aloft, O monarch, from his hermitage into the sky, for ascertaining who Jaigishavya, wedded to a life of mendicancy, really was.  Devala saw crowds of sky-ranging Siddhas rapt in meditation, and he saw Jaigishavya reverentially worshipped by those Siddhas.  Firm in the observance of his vows and persevering (in his efforts), Devala became filled with wrath at the sight.  He then saw Jaigishavya set out for heaven.  He next beheld him proceed to the region of the Pitris.  Devala saw him then proceed to the region of Yama.  From Yama’s region the great ascetic Jaigishavya was then seen to soar aloft and proceed to the abode of Soma.  He was then seen to proceed to the blessed regions (one after another) of the performers of certain rigid sacrifices.  Thence he proceeded to the regions of the Agnihotris and thence to the region of those ascetics that perform the Darsa and the Paurnamasa sacrifices.  The intelligent Devala then saw him proceed from those regions of persons performing sacrifices by killing animals to that pure region which is worshipped by the very gods.  Devala next saw the mendicant proceed to the place of those ascetics that perform the sacrifice called Chaturmasya and diverse others of the same kind.  Thence he proceeded to the region belonging to the performers of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.