(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
" said, 'Then Havyavahana () in anger and disappointment, with his ailment uncured, went back to the . And he represented unto to Brahman all that had happened: The illustrious deity, reflecting for a moment, said unto to him, 'O sinless one. I see a way by which thou you mayest may consume the forest of Khandava today in the very sight of . Those old deities, and , have become incarnate in the world of men to accomplish the business of the celestials. They are called on earth and . They are even now staying in the forest of Khandava. Solicit them for aiding thee you in consuming that forest. Thou you shalt shall then consume the forest even if it be protected by the celestials. They will certainly prevent the population of Khandava from escaping, and thwart also (in aiding any one in the escape). I have no doubt of this!' Hearing these words, came in haste unto to and . O king, I have already told thee you what he said, having approached the illustrious pair. O tiger among kings, hearing those words of who was desirous of consuming the forest of Khandava against the will of , said unto to him these words well-suited to the occasion, I have numberless excellent celestial weapons with which I can fight even many wielders of the thunderbolt. But, O exalted one, I have no bow suited to the strength of my arms, and capable of bearing the might I may put forth in battle. In consequence of the lightness of my hands also I require arrows that must never be exhausted. My car also is scarcely able to bear load of arrows that I would desire to keep by me. I desire celestial steeds of pure white, possessing the speed of the wind; and a car possessing the splendour of the sun and the clatter of whose wheels should resemble the roar of the clouds. Then, there is no weapon suited to 's energy and with which can slay Nagas and Pisachas. O exalted one, it behoveth behooves thee you to give us the means by which success may be achieved and by which we may thwart in pouring his showers upon that extensive forest. O , we are ready to do all that manliness and prowess can do. But, O exalted one, it behoveth behooves thee you to give us the adequate means.'"
(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
", said, 'Thus addressed by , the smoke-bannered , desirous of an interview with , recollected that son of Aditi,--that deity protecting one of the points of the heavens and having his home in the water and ruling that element. , knowing that he was thought of by , immediately appeared before that deity. The smoke-bannered celestial welcoming with reverence the ruler of the waters, that fourth of the Lokapalas, said unto to that eternal god of gods, 'Give me without loss of time that bow and quiver, and that ape-bannered car also, which were obtained from king . will achieve a great task with Gandiva, and also with the discus! Give both, therefore, unto to me today.' Hearing these words, replied unto to , saying, 'Well, I am giving them.' He then gave that wonderful jewel of a bow that was endued with great energy. That bow was the enhancer of fame and achievements, and was incapable of being injured by any weapon. It was the chief of all weapons, and the grinder of them all. And it was the smiter of hostile armies and was alone equal to a hundred thousand bows. It was the multiplier of kingdoms, and was variegated with excellent colours. It was well-adorned, and beautiful to behold, and without a mark of weakness or injury anywhere. And it was always worshipped both by the celestials and the Gandharvas. also gave two inexhaustible quivers, and he also gave a car furnished with celestial weapons and whose banner bore a large ape. Yoked unto to that car were steeds white as silver of the fleecy clouds, and born in the region of the Gandharvas, and decked with golden harness, and resembling in fleetness the wind or the mind. And it was equipped with implement of war, and was incapable of being vanquished by the celestials or the Asuras. Its splendour was great and the sounds of its wheels was tremendous. It delighted the heart of every creature that looked at it. It had been made by Viswakarman, the architect of the universe and one of the lords of creation, after severe ascetic meditation. Its splendour, like that of the sun, was so great that no one could gaze at it. It was the very car from which the lord had vanquished the Danavas. Resplendent with beauty, it looked like an evening cloud reflecting the effulgence of the setting sun. It was furnished with an excellent flag-staff of golden colour and great beauty. And there sat upon that flag-staff a celestial ape of form fierce like that of a lion or a tiger. Stationed on high, the ape seemed bent upon burning everything it beheld. And upon the (other) flags were various creatures of large size, whose roars and yells caused the enemy's soldiers to faint. Then , accoutred in mail and armed with the sword, and his fingers cased in leathern gloves, walking round that excellent car adorned with numerous flags and bowing unto to the gods, ascended it like a virtuous man riding in the celestial car that bears him to heaven. And taking up that celestial and first of bows created by Brahman of old and called Gandiva, was filled with joy. And bowing unto to , endued with great energy, took up the bow and strung it forcibly. Those who heard the noise that was made while the mighty Pandava strung that bow, quaked with fear. And having obtained that car and that bow, and the two inexhaustible quivers, the son of became glad and thought himself competent to assist at the task. And then gave unto to a discus with an iron pole attached to a hole in the centre. And it was a fiery weapon and became his favourite. Having obtained that weapon, also became equal to the task. then, addressing , said, 'With this, O slayer of Madhu, thou you shalt shall be able without doubt to vanquish in battle even foes that are not human. With this weapon, without doubt, thou you shalt shall be superior in battle to men and gods, and Rakshasas and Pisachas, and Daityas and Nagas. And thou you shalt shall certainly be able with this to smite all. And, O , hurled by thee you in battle at thy your foes, this weapon will irresistibly slay the enemy and again come back into thy your hands.' And the lord , after this, gave unto to a mace, of name Kaumodaki, capable of slaying every Daitya and producing, when hurled, a roar like that of the thunder. Then and , filled with joy said unto to , 'O exalted one, furnished with weapons and knowing their use, possessed of cars with flags and flagstaffs, we are now able to fight with even all the celestials and the Asuras (together), let alone the wielder of the thunderbolt desirous of fighting for the sake of the Naga (his friend ).' also said, 'O , while , endued with abundant energy, moves on the field of battle with this discus in hand, there is nothing in the three worlds that he will not be able to consume by hurling this weapon. Having obtained the bow Gandiva and this couple of inexhaustible quivers I also am ready to conquer in battle the three worlds. Therefore, O lord, blaze thou you forth as thou you likest like, surrounding this large forest on every side. We are quite able to help thee you.'
" continued, 'Thus addressed both by and , the illustrious god then put forth his most energetic form, and prepared to consume the forest. Surrounding it on all sides with his seven flames, he began to consume the forest of Khandava, exhibiting his all-consuming form like that at the end of the Yuga (cycle). And, O bull of Bharata's race, surrounding that forest and catching it from all sides with a roar like that of the clouds, made every creature within it tremble. And, O Bharata, that burning forest then looked resplendent like the king of mountains, Meru, blazing with the rays of the sun fallen thereupon then.'"
(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
" said, 'Then those foremost of car-warriors ( and ), riding in their cars and placing themselves on opposite sides of that forest, began a great slaughter, on all sides, of the creatures dwelling in Khandava. At whatever point any of the creatures residing in Khandava could be seen attempting to escape, thither there rushed those mighty heroes (to prevent its flight). Indeed those two excellent cars seemed to be but one, and the two warriors also therein but one individual. And while the forest was burning, hundreds and thousands of living creatures, uttering frightful yells, began to run about in all directions. Some had particular limbs burnt, some were scorched with excessive heat, and some came out, and some ran about from fear. And some clasping their children and some their parents and brothers, died calmly without, from excess of affection, being able to abandon these that were dear to them. And many there were who biting their nether lips rose upwards and soon fell whirling into the blazing element below. And some were seen to roll on the ground with wings, eyes, and feet scorched and burnt. These creatures were all seen to perish there almost soon enough. The tanks and ponds within that forest, heated by the fire around, began to boil; the fishes and the tortoises in them were all seen to perish. During that great slaughter of living creatures in that forest, the burning bodies of various animals looked as if fire itself had assumed many forms. The birds that took wings to escape from that conflagration were pierced by with his shafts, and cut into pieces, they fell down into the burning element below. Pierced all over with 's shafts, the birds dropped down into the burning forest, uttering loud cries. The denizens of the forest, struck with those shafts, began to roar and yell. The clamour they raised was like unto to the frightful uproar heard during the churning of the ocean (in days of yore). The mighty flames of the blazing fire reaching the firmament, caused great anxiety to the celestials themselves. Then all the illustrious dwellers in heaven went in a body unto to him of a hundred sacrifices and thousand eyes, viz., their chief, that grinder of Asuras. Approaching , the celestial said, 'Why, O lord of immortals, doth does burn these creatures below? Hath has the time come for the destruction of the world?'
" continued, 'Hearing these words of the gods, and himself beholding what was doing, the slayer of Vritra set out for the protection of the forest of Khandava. And , the chief of the celestials soon covering the sky with masses of clouds of every kind began to shower upon the burning forest. Those masses of clouds by hundreds and thousands, commanded by began to pour rain upon Khandava in showers thick as the flag-staffs of battle-cars. But the showers were all dried up in the sky itself by the heat of the fire and could not, therefore, reach the fire at all! Then the slayer of Namuchi, getting angry with , collected huge masses of clouds and caused them to yield a heavy downpour. Then with the flames contending with those heavy showers, and with masses of clouds overhead, that forest, filled with smoke and flashes of lightning, became terrible to behold.'"