The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 225

Section CCXV. ( *Khandava-daha Parva.* ) Vaisampayana said, "Then that Brahmana, addressed Arjuna and Vāsudeva of the Sāttwata race, saying, 'Ye who are now staying so near unto Khāndava are the foremost heroes on earth! I am a voracious Brahmana that always eateth much. O thou of the Vrishni race, and O Pārtha, I solicit ye to gratify me by giving me sufficient food!' Thus addressed by the Brahmana, Krishna and the son of Pandu answered him, saying, 'O tell us what food will gratify thee, so that we may endeavour to give it thee!' The illustrious Brahmana, thus replied to, said unto those heroes who were enquiring after the kind of food he sought, 'I do not desire to eat ordinary food. Know that I am Agni! Give me that food which suiteth me. This forest of Khāndava is always protected by Indra. And protected as it is by the illustrious one (Indra), I always fail in consuming it. There always dwelleth, with his followers and family, a Nāga called Takshaka who is the friend of Indra. It is for him that the wielder of the thunder-bolt protecteth this forest. And many other creatures are thus being protected here for the sake of Takshaka. Desiring to consume the forest I succeed not in my attempts in consequence of Indra's prowess. Beholding me blazing forth, he always poureth upon me water from the clouds. Therefore I succeed not in consuming the forest of Khāndava, although I very much desire to do so. I now have come to ye,—ye who are both skilled in weapons. If ye help me I will surely consume this forest: for even this is the food that is desired by me. Conversant as ye are with excellent weapons, I pray ye to prevent those showers from descending and any of the creatures from escaping, when I begin to consume this forest!'" Janamejaya said, "Why did the illustrious Agni desire to consume the forest of Khāndava that was filled with various living creatures and protected by the chief of the celestials? When Agni consumed in wrath the forest of Khāndava, it is evident there was a grave cause. I desire, O Brahmana, to hear all this in detail from thee! Tell me, O Muni, how the Khāndava forest was consumed in days of yore!" Vaisampayana said, "O chief of men, narrate to me the story of the destruction of Khāndava as told by Rishis in the Purāna. It hath been heard, O king, in the Purāna that there was a celebrated king of the name of Swetaki who was endued with strength and prowess and who was equal unto Indra himself. There is no one on earth equal unto him in sacrifices, charity, and intelligence. And Swetaki performed the five great sacrifices and many others, in all of which the presents unto Brahmanas are large. And, O king, the heart of that monarch was always set upon sacrifices, religious rites, and gifts of all kinds. And king Swetaki of great intelligence, assisted by his *Ritwijas* performed sacrifices for many long years, till those sacrificial priests with eyes afflicted by the continued smoke and becoming very weak, left that monarch, wishing never more to assist at his sacrifices. The king, however, repeatedly asked those *Ritwijas* to come to him. But they come not to his sacrifice in consequence of the painful state of their eyes. The king, therefore, inviting at the command of his own *Ritwijas* others like unto them, completed the sacrifice that he had begun. And after some days had elapsed, king Swetaki desired to perform another sacrifice which should extend for an hundred years. But the illustrious monarch obtained not any priests to assist him at this sacrifice. That celebrated king then with his friends and relatives casting off all sloth, repeatedly courted his priests with great persistence by bowing down unto them, by conciliatory speeches, and by gift of wealth. All of them, however, refused to accomplish the purpose which that king of immeasurable energy had in view. Then that royal sage, getting angry, addressed those Brahmanas sitting in their asylums, and said, 'If, ye Brahmanas, I were a fallen person, or if I were wanting in homage and service to ye, I should then deserve to be abandoned without scruples by ye and by other Brahmanas at the same time! But as I am neither degraded nor wanting in homage to ye, it behoveth ye not to obstruct the performance by me of my sacrifice or to abandon me thus, ye foremost of Brahmanas, without adequate reason! I seek, ye Brahmanas, your protection! It behoveth ye to be propitious unto me! But, ye foremost of Brahmanas, if ye abandon me from enmity alone or any improper motive, I shall go unto other priests for their assistance in this sacrifice of mine, and conciliating them by sweet words and gifts, I shall represent unto them the business I have on hand, so that they may accomplish it. Having said this, the monarch became silent. And, O thou oppressor of all foes, when those priests well knew that they could not assist at the king's sacrifice, they pretended to be angry, and addressing that best of monarchs, said, 'O thou best of kings, thy sacrifices are incessant. By assisting thee always, we have all been fatigues. And wrecked as we have been in consequence of these labors, it behoveth thee to give us leave! O sinless once, from loss of judgment thou canst not wait, (but urgest us repeatedly). Go unto Rudra! He will assist at thy sacrifice!' Hearing those words of censure and wrath, king Swetaki became angry. And the monarch wending to the mountain of Kylasa, devoted himself to ascetism there. And, O king, the monarch began to worship Mahadeva, with fixed attention, and observing the most rigid vows, and foregoing all food at times, he passed a long time. And the monarch ate only fruits and roots sometimes at the twelfth and sometimes at the sixteenth hour of the whole day (of twenty four fours). And king Swetaki stood for six months, rapt in attention, with arms upraised and stead-fast eyes, like the trunk of a tree or a column rooted to the ground. And, O Bhārata, Sankara at last, gratified with that tiger among kings who was undergoing such hard penances, showed himself unto the king. And the god spake hard penances, showed himself unto the king. And the god spake unto the monarch in a calm and grave voice, 'O tiger among kings, O oppressor all foes, I have been gratified with thee for thy asceticism! Blest be thou! Ask now the boon that thou, O king, desirest!' Hearing these words of Rudra of immeasurable energy, the royal sage bowed down unto that high-souled deity and replied, saying, 'O illustrious one, O thou who art worshipped of the three worlds, if thou hast been gratified with me, O thou god of gods, assist me thyself, O lord of the celestials, in my sacrifice!' Hearing these words spoken by the monarch, the illustrious god was gratified, and smilingly said, 'We do not ourselves assist at sacrifices. But as thou, O king, hast undergone severe penances desirous of obtaining a boon, I will, O thou oppressor of all foes, assist at thy sacrifice upon, O king, this condition!' And Rudra continued, 'If, O king of kings, thou canst, for twelve years, pour without intermission libations of clarified butter into the fire, thyself leading all the while the life of a Brahmachārin with rapt attention, then thou shalt obtain from me what thou askest!' And king Swetaki, thus addressed by Rudra, did all that he was directed to do by the wielder of the trident. And after twelve years had elapsed, he again came unto Maheswara. And Sankara—the creator of the worlds—upon seeing Swetaki that excellent of monarchs—immediately said, in great gratification, 'I have been gratified by thee, of best of kings, with this thy own act! But, O oppressor of all foes, the duty of assisting at sacrifices properly belongeth to Brahmanas. Therefore, O oppressor of all foes, I will not myself assist at thy sacrifice to-day! There is on earth an exalted Brahmana who is even a portion of my own self! He is known by the name of Durvāsā. Even that Brahmana endued with great energy will assist at thy sacrifice. Let, therefore, every preparation be made for thy sacrifice!' And hearing these words uttered by Rudra, the king, returning unto his own capital, began to collect all that was necessary. And after everything had been collected, the monarch again presented himself before Rudra and said, 'Every necessary article hath been collected, and all my preparations are complete, by thy grace, O god of gods! Let me, therefore, he initiated in the same to-morrow!' And hearing these words of that illustrious king, Rudra summoned Durvāsā before him and said, 'This, O Durvāsā, is that best of monarchs called Swetaki. At my command, O thou best of Brahmanas, assist even this king in his sacrifice!' And the Rishi Durvāsā said unto Rudra, 'So be it!' Then the sacrifice for which king Swetaki had made those preparations, took place. And the illustrious monarch's sacrifice was performed according to the ordinance and in proper season. And the gifts, in that sacrifice, unto the Brahmanas were large. And after that monarch's sacrifice had come to an end, the other priests who had come to assist at it all went away with Durvāsā's leave. And all other *Sadasyas* also, of immeasurable energy, who had been initiated in that sacrifice, then went away. And that exalted monarch also, then entered his own palace, worshipped by exalted Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas, eulogised by chaunters of panegyrical hymns and congratulated by the citizens. "Such was the history of that best of monarchs—the royal sage Swetaki, who when the time came, ascended heaven, having won great renown on earth, and accompanied by the *Ritwijas* and the *Sadasyas* who had helped him in life." Vaisamyayna continued, "And in the sacrifice of Swetaki, Agni had drunk clarified butter for twelve years. Indeed, butter had been poured into Agni's mouth in a continuous stream for that period. And having drunk so much butter, Agni was satiated, and desired not to drink butter again from the hand of any body else in any other sacrifice. And Agni became pale, having lost his color. And he could not shine as before. Then Agni felt a loss of appetite from surfeit, and his energy itself became weakened, and sickness afflicted him. Then when the drinker of sacrificial libations perceived that his energy was gradually diminishing, he went to the sacred abode of Brahmā which is worshipped by all. And approaching the great Deity seated on his seat, Agni said, 'O exalted one, Swetaki hath (by his sacrifice) gratified me to excess. Even now I am suffering from surfeit which I can not dispell. And, O lord of the universe. I am being reduced both in splendour and strength! I desire to regain by thy grace my own permanent nature!' Hearing these words from Hutavaha (Agni), the illustrious creator of all things, smilingly replied unto him, saying, 'O exalted one, thou hast eaten, for twelve years, a continuous stream of sarificial butter poured into thy mouth! It is for this that illness hath affected thee! But, O Agni, grieve not for it! Thou shalt soon regain thy own nature. I shall dispell this surfeit of thine. The time for it is even come, O Vivāvasu! The dreadful forest of Khāndava, that abode of the enemies of the gods, which thou hadst of old once consumed to ashes at the request of the gods, hath now become the home of numerous creatures. When thou hast eaten the fat of those creatures, thou wilt regain thy own nature! Proceed thither in haste to consume that forest with its living population. Thou shalt then be cured of thy malady!' And hearing these words that fell from the lips of the Supreme Deity, Hutāshana proceeded with great speed and soon reached the forest of Khāndava in great vigor. And arrived there, he suddenly blazed forth in anger, assisted by Vāyu. And beholding Khāndava on fire, the swellers (of the forest) that were there, made great efforts to extinguish the conflagration. And elephants by hundreds and thousands, speeding in anger, brought water in hundreds and thousands, speeding in anger, brought water in their trunks and scattered it upon the fire. And thousands of many-headed snakes, mad with anger, hastly began to scatter upon the fire much water from those many hoods of theirs. And so, O bull of the Bharata race, the other creatures dwelling in that forest, by various appliances and efforts, soon extinguished the fire. In this way, Agni had blazed forth in Khāndava repeatedly, even for seven times. And it was in this way that the blazing fire was extinguished there as often by the dwellers of that forest." Thus ends the two hundred and twenty-fifth Section in the Khāndava-dāha of the Adi Parva.