SECTION XVI
"Vrihaspati said, 'Thou are the mouth, O Agni, of all the gods. Thou art
the carrier of sacred offerings. Thou, like a witness, hast access to the
inner souls of all creatures. The poets call you single, and again
three-fold. O eater of burnt offerings, abandoned by you the Universe
would forthwith cease to be. The Brahmanas by bowing to thee, win with
their wives and sons an eternal region, the reward of their own
meritorious deeds. O Agni, it is you who are the bearer of sacred
offerings. Thou, O Agni, are thyself the best offering. In a sacrificial
ceremony of the supreme order, it is you that they worship with
incessant gifts and offerings. O bearer of offerings, having created the
three worlds, you when the hour cometh, consumeth them in your unkindled
form. Thou are the mother of the whole Universe; and you again, O Agni,
art its termination. The wise call you identical with the clouds and
with the lightning; flames issuing from thee, support all creatures. All
the waters are deposited in thee; so is this entire world. To thee, O
purifier, nothing is unknown in the three worlds. Every body taketh
kindly to his progenitor; do you enter the waters without fear. I shall
render you strong with the eternal hymns of the Veda. Thus glorified,
the bearer of burnt offerings, that best of poets, well-pleased, spoke
laudable words to Vrihaspati. And he said, 'I shall show Indra to thee.
This I tell you for truth.'
"Salya continued, 'Then Agni entered the waters including seas and tiny
ponds, and came to that reservoir, where, O best of Bharata's race, while
searching the lotus flowers, he saw the king of the gods lying within the
fibres of a lotus-stalk. And soon coming back, he informed Vrihaspati how
Indra had taken refuge in the fibres of a lotus-stalk, assuming a minute
form. Then Vrihaspati, accompanied by the gods, the saints and the
Gandharvas, went and glorified the slayer of Vala by referring to his
former deeds. And he said, 'O Indra, the great Asura Namuchi was killed
by thee; and those two Asuras also of terrible strength, viz., Samvara
and Vala. Wax strong, O performer of a hundred sacrifices, and slay all
thy foes. Rise, O Indra! Behold, here are assembled the gods and the
saints. O Indra, O great lord, by slaying Asuras, you hast delivered the
worlds. Having got the froth of waters, strengthened with Vishnu's
energy, you formerly slew Vritra. Thou are the refuge of all creatures
and are adorable. There is no being equal to thee. All the creatures, O
Indra, are supported by thee, Thou didst build the greatness of the gods.
Deliver all, together with the worlds by assuming your strength, O great
Indra.' And thus glorified, Indra increased little by little; and having
assumed his own form, he waxed strong and spoke to the preceptor
Vrihaspati standing before. And he said, 'What business of yours yet
remaineth; the great Asuras, son of Twashtri, hath been killed; and
Vritra also, whose form was exceedingly big and who destroyed the worlds.'
"Vrihaspati said, 'The human Nahusha, a king, having, obtained the throne
of heaven by virtue of the power of the divine saints, is giving us
exceeding trouble.'
"Indra said, 'How hath Nahusha obtained the throne of heaven, difficult
to get? What austerities did he practise? How great is his power, O
Vrihaspati!'
"Vrihaspati said, 'The gods having been frightened, wished for a king of
heaven, for you had given up the high dignity of heaven's ruler. Then
the gods, the Pitris of the universe, the saints, and the principal
Gandharvas, all met together, O Indra, and went to Nahusha and said, 'Be
thou our king, and the defender of the Universe!' To them said Nahusha,
'I am not able; fill me with your power and with the virtue of your
austerities!' So told, the deities strengthened him, O king of the gods!
And thereupon Nahusha became a person of terrible strength, and becoming
thus the ruler of the three worlds, he hath put the great saints in
harness, and the wretch is thus journeying from world to world. Mayst
thou never see Nahusha who is terrible. He emitteth poison from his eyes,
and absorbeth the energy of all. All the gods are exceedingly frightened;
they go about concealed and do not cast a glance at him!'
"Salya continued, While that best of Angira's race was thus speaking,
there came that guardian of the world, Kuvera, and also Yama the son of
Surya, and the old god Soma, and Varuna. And arrived there they said to
the great Indra, 'How lucky that the son of Twashtri hath been killed,
and Vritra also! How lucky, O Indra, that we are beholding you safe and
sound, while all your enemies have been killed!' Indra received all those
guardians of the worlds, and with a glad heart greeted them in proper
form with a view to requesting them in connection with Nahusha. And he
said, 'Nahusha of terrible mien is the king of the gods; therein lend me
your assistance.' They replied, 'Nahusha is of awful mien; his sight is
poison; we are afraid of him, O God. If you overthrowest Nahusha, then
we shall be entitled to our shares of sacrificial offerings, O Indra.'
Indra said, 'Let it be so. You and the ruler of the waters, and Yama, and
Kuvera shall this day be crowned along with me. Aided by all the gods,
let us overthrow the foe Nahusha of terrible gaze.' Then Agni also said
to Indra, 'Give me a share in sacrificial offerings. I also shall lend
you my assistance.' Indra said to him, 'O Agni, you also shalt get a
share in great sacrifices,--there will be a single share (in such) for
both Indra and Agni.'
"Salya continued, 'Thus did the illustrious lord Indra, the chastiser of
Paka, the giver of boons, bestow, after deliberation upon Kuvera the
sovereignty over the Yakshas, and all the wealth of the world; upon Yama,
the sovereignty over the Pitris; and upon Varuna, that over the waters.'
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 16 ---------------------
