Chapter 231

“Janamejaya said, ‘O Brahmana, tell me why and when that forest burnt inthat way, Agni consumed not the birds called Sarngakas?

Thou hast, OBrahmana, recited (to us) the cause of Aswasena and the Danava Maya nothaving been consumed. But thou hast not as yet said what the cause was ofthe escape of the Sarngakas? The escape of those birds, O Brahmana,appeareth to me to be wonderful. Tell us why they were not destroyed inthat dreadful conflagration.’

“Vaisampayana said, ‘O slayer of all foes, I shall tell thee all as towhy Agni did not burn up those birds during the conflagration. There was,O king, a great Rishi known by the name of Mandapala, conversant with allthe shastras, of rigid vows, devoted to asceticism, and the foremost ofall virtuous persons. Following in the wake of Rishis that had drawn uptheir virile fluid, that ascetic, O monarch, with every sense undercomplete control, devoted himself to study and virtue. Having reached theopposite shores of asceticism, O Bharata, he left his human form and wentto the region of the Pitris. But going thither he failed to obtain the(expected) fruit of his acts. He asked the celestials that sat around theking of the dead as to the cause of his treatment, saying, ‘Why havethese regions become unattainable by me,–regions that I had thought hadbeen acquired by me by my ascetic devotions? Have I not performed thoseacts whose fruits are these regions? Ye inhabitants of heaven, tell mewhy these regions are shut against me! I will do that which will give methe fruit of my ascetic penances.’

“The celestials answered, ‘Hear, O Brahmana, of those acts and things onaccount of which men are born debtors. Without doubt, it is for religiousrites, studies according to the ordinance, and progeny, that men are borndebtors. These debts are all discharged by sacrifices, asceticism, andoffspring. Thou art an ascetic and hast also performed sacrifices; butthou hast no offspring. These regions are shut against thee only for wantof children. Beget children, therefore! Thou shalt then enjoymultifarious regions of felicity. The Vedas declared that the sonrescueth the father from a hell called Put. Then, O best of Brahmanas,strive to beget offspring.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Mandapala, having heard these words of thedwellers in heaven, reflected how best he could obtain the largest numberof offspring within the shortest period of time. The Rishi, afterreflection, understood that of all creatures birds alone were blest withfecundity. Assuming the form of a Sarngaka the Rishi had connection witha female bird of the same species called by the name of Jarita. And hebegat upon her four sons who were all reciters of the Vedas. Leaving allthose sons of his with their mother in that forest, while they were stillwithin eggs, the ascetic went to (another wife called by the name of)Lapita. And, O Bharata, when the exalted sage went away for the companyof Lapita, moved by affection for her offspring, Jarita became verythoughtful. Though forsaken by their father in the forest of Khandava,Jarita, anxious in her affection for them, could not forsake heroffspring, those infant Rishis encased in eggs. Moved by parentalaffection, she brought up these children born of her, herself followingthe pursuits proper to her own species. Some time after, the Rishi, inwandering over that forest in the company of Lapita, saw Agni comingtowards Khandava to burn it down. Then the Brahmana Mandapala, knowingthe intention of Agni and remembering also that his children were allyoung moved by fear, gratified the god, of the burning element, thatregent of the universe, endued with great energy. And he did this,desiring to put in a word for his unfledged offspring. Addressing Agni,the Rishi said, ‘Thou art, O Agni, the mouth of all the worlds! Thou artthe carrier of the sacrificial butter! O purifier (of all sins), thoumovest invisible with the frame of every creature! The learned havespoken of thee as an One, and again as possessed of triple nature. Thewise perform their sacrifices before thee, taking thee as consisting ofeight (mouths). The great Rishis declare that this universe hath beencreated by thee. O thou that feedest on sacrificial butter, without theethis whole universe would be destroyed in a single day. Bowing to thee,the Brahmanas, accompanied by their wives and children, go to eternalregions won by them by help of their own deeds. O Agni, the learnedrepresent thee as the clouds in the heavens charged with lightning. OAgni, the flames put forth by thee consume every creature. O thou ofgreat splendour, this universe hath been created by thee. The Vedas arethy word. All creatures, mobile and immobile, depend upon thee. Waterprimarily dependeth on thee, so also the whole of this universe. Allofferings of clarified butter and oblations of food to the pitris havebeen established in thee. O god, thou art the consumer, and thou art thecreator and thou art Vrihaspati himself (in intelligence). Thou art thetwin Aswins; thou art Surya; thou art Soma; thou art Vayu.

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘O monarch, thus praised by Mandapala, Agni wasgratified with that Rishi of immeasurable energy; and the god,well-pleased, replied, ‘What good can I do to thee?’ Then Mandapala withjoined palms said unto the carrier of clarified butter, ‘While thouburnest the forest of Khandava, spare my children.’ The illustriousbearer of clarified butter replied, ‘So be it.’ It was, therefore, Omonarch, that he blazed not forth, while consuming the forest ofKhandava, for the destruction of Mandapala’s children.'”