The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 231

Section CCXXXI. *( Khandava-daha Parva continued. )* Janamejaya said, "O Brahmana, tell me why, when that forest was burning in that way, when that forest was burning in that way, Agni consumed not the birds called *Sharngakas*? Thou hast, O Brahmana, recited (to us) the cause of Aswa-sena and the Dānava Maya not having been consumed. But as yet thou hast not said what the cause was of the escape of the *Sharngakas!* The escape of those birds, O Brahmana, appeareth to me to be wonderful. Tell us why thy were not destroyed in that dreadful conflagration!" Vaisampayana said, "O slayer of all foes, I shall tell thee all about why Agni did not consume those birds during that conflagration. There was, O king, a great Rishi known by the name of Mandapāla, conversant with all the *shastras*, of rigid vows, devoted to asceticism, and the foremost of all virtuous persons. And, O monarch, following in the wake of Rishis who had drawn up their vital fluid, that ascetic, with every sense under complete control, devoted himself to study and virtue. And, O Bhārata, having reached the opposite shores of asceticism, he left his human form and went to the region of the *Pitris.* But going thither he failed to obtain the (expected) fruit of his acts. He then asked the celestials that were sitting around the king of the dead as to the cause of his treatment. And Mandapāla said, 'Why have these regions become unattainable to me, regions that I had thought had been acquired by me by my ascetic devotions? Have I not done those acts whose fruit are these regions? Ye dwellers of heaven, tell me why these regions are shut against me! I will do that which will give me the fruit of my ascetic penances!' "The celestials answered, 'Hear, O Brahmana, of those acts and things on account of which men are born debtors! Without doubt, it is for religious rites, study according to the ordinance, and progeny, that men are born debtors. These debts are all discharged by sacrifices, asceticism, offspring. Thou art an ascetic and hast also performed sacrifices. But thou hast no offspring. These regions are shut against thee only for want of children. Beget thou children, therefore! Thou shalt then enjoy multifarious regions of felicity. The Vedas have declared that the son rescueth the father from a hell called *Put.* Then, O best of Brahmanas, strive thou to beget offspring!'" Vaisampayana continued, "Mandapāla, having heard these words of the dwellers of heaven, reflected how best he could obtain offspring within the shortest time and many in number. And the Rishi after reflection came to know that of all creatures birds alone were blest with fecundity. And assuming the form of a Shārngaka, the Rishi had connection of a female bird of the same species called by the name of Jaritā. And he begat upon her four sons who were all riciters of the Veda. And leaving all those sons of his with their mother in that forest while they were still within eggs, the Manu went to (another wife called by the name of) Lapitā. And, O Bharata, when the exalted Muni went away for the company of Lapitā, moved by affection for her offspring Jaritā became very thoughtful. And though forsaken by their father in that forest of Khāndava, Jaritā, anxious in her affection for them, could not forsake her offspring—those infant Rishis encased in eggs. And moved by parental affection, she brought up those children born of her, herself following the pursuit proper to her own species. And sometime after, the Rishi, in wandering over that forest in the company of Lapitā, saw Agni coming towards Khāndava to burn it down. Then that Brahmana Mandapāla, knowing the intention of Agni and remembering also that his children were all young, moved by fear gratified the god of the burning element—that *Lokapala* of great energy. And he did this, desiring to put in a word for his unfledged offspring. And addressing Agni, the Rishi said, 'Thou art, O Agni, the mouth of all the worlds! Thou art the carrier of the sacrificial butter! And, O purifier (from all sins), thou movest invisibly within the frame of every creature! The learned have spoken of thee as One, and again as possest of triple nature! The wise perform their sacrifices before thee, taking thee as consisting of eight (mouths)! The great Rishis declare that this universe hath been created by thee! And, O thou who feedest on sacrificial butter, without thee this whole universe would be destroyed within a single day! Bowing to thee, the Brahmanas, accompanied by their wives and children, go to eternal regions won by them by help of their own deeds! O Agni, the learned represent thee as the clouds in the heavens charged with lightning! And, O Agni, the flames put forth by thee consume every creature! And, O thou of great splendour, this universe hath been created by thee! The Vedas are thy Word! And all creatures, mobile and immobile, depend upon thee! Water primarily dependeth on thee, and the whole of this universe also! All offerings of clarified butter and oblations of food to the *pitris* have been established in thee! And, O god, thou art the consumer, thou the creator, and thou Vrihaspati himself (in intelligence)! Thou art the twin Aswinas, thou art Surya thou art Soma, and thou art Vāyu!'" Vaisampayana continued, "O monarch, thus panegyrised by Mandapāla, Agni was gratified with that Rishi of immeasurable energy! And the god, well-pleased, replied, 'What good can I do thee?' Then Mandapāla with joined hands said unto the conveyer of clarified butter, 'While thou burnest the forest of Khāndāva, spare thou my children!' The illustrious conveyer of clarified butter replied, 'So be it.' It was, therefore, O monarch, that he blazed not forth, while consuming the forest of Khāndava, for the destruction of Mandapāla's children." Thus ends the two hundred and thirty-first Section in the Khāndava-dāha of the Adi Parva.