Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/513

Rh of old once consumed to ashes at the request of the gods, hath now become the home of numerous creatures. When thou wilt have eaten the fat of those creatures, thou shalt regain thy own nature I Proceed thither in haste to consume that forest with its living population. Thou wilt then be cured of thy nalady I Hearing the words that fell from the lips of the supreme Deity. Hutashana proceeded with great speed and soon reached the forest of Khandava in great vigour. Arrived there, he suddenly blazed forth in anger, assisted by Vayu. Beholding Khandava on fire the dwellers (in the forest) that were there, made great efforts to estinguish the conflagration, Elephants by hundreds of thousands, speeding in anger. brought water in their trunks and scattered it upon the fire. Thousands of many hooded snakes, mad with anger, hastily began to scatter upon the fre much water from those many hoods of theirs. And so, O bull of Bharata's race, the other creatures dwelling in that forest, by various appliances and efforts, soon extinguished the fire. In this way, Agni blazed forth in Khandava repeatedly, even for seven times. And it was in this way that the blazing fire was extinguished there as often by the denizens of that forest."

Thus ends the two hundred and twenty-fifth section in the Khandavadaha Parva of the Adi Parva.

Vaisampayana said, "Then Havyavahana (Agai) in anger and disappointment, with his ailment uncured, went back to the Grandsire. And he represented unto Brahman all that had happened. The illustri. ous deity, reflecting for a moment, said unto him.-'O sinless, I see a way by which thou mayest consume the forest of Khanda va to-day in the very sight of Indra 1 0 Vibhavasu, those old deities, Nara and Narayana have become incarnate in the world of men to accomplish the business of the celestials. They are called on earth Arjuna and Vasudeva. They are even now staying in the forest of Khandava. Solicit them for aiding thee in consuming that forest. Thou shalt then consume the forest even if it te protected by the celestials. They will certainly prevent the population of Khandava from escaping, and thwart Indra also (in aiding any one in the escape). I have no doubt of this !' Hearing these words, Agni came in the haste unto Krishna and Partha, O