(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
" said, 'Then , the son of , invoking his excellent weapons, prevented that shower of rain by , by means of a shower of his own weapons. And of immeasurable soul soon covered the forest of Khandava with innumerable arrows like the moon covering the atmosphere with a thick fog. When the sky above that forest was thus covered with the arrows of no living creature could then escape from below. And it so happened that while that forest was burning, , the chief of the Nagas, was not there, having gone at that time to the field of Kurukshetra. But Aswasena, the mighty son of , was there. He made great efforts to escape from that fire; but confined by 's shafts he succeeded not in finding a way. It was then that his mother, the daughter of a snake, determined to save him by swallowing him first. His mother first swallowed his head and then was swallowing his tail. And desirous of saving her son, the sea-snake rose (up from the earth) while still employed in swallowing her son's tail. But as soon as he beheld her escaping, severed her head from her body by means of a sharp and keen-edged arrow. saw all this, and desiring to save his friend's son, the wielder of the thunderbolt, by raising a violent wind, deprived of consciousness. During those few moments, Aswasena succeeded in effecting his escape. Beholding that manifestation of the power of illusion, and deceived by that snake, was much enraged. He forthwith cut every animal seeking to escape by the skies, into two, three, or more pieces. And in anger, and , and also, cursed the snake that had escaped so deceitfully, saying, 'Never shalt shall thou you be famous!' And remembering the deception practised upon him, became angry, and covering the firmament with a cloud of arrows, sought to fight with him of a thousand eyes. The chief of the celestials also, seeing in anger, sought to fight with him, and hurled his own fierce weapons, covering the wide expanse of the firmament. Then the winds, making a loud roar and agitating all the oceans, brought together masses of clouds in the sky, charged with torrents of rain. Those masses of clouds began to vomit thunder and terrible flashes of lightning charged with the thunderclap. Then possessing a knowledge of means, hurled the excellent weapon called Vayavya with proper mantras to dispel those clouds. With that weapon the energy and force of 's thunderbolt and of those clouds were destroyed. And the torrents of rain with which those clouds were charged were all dried up, and the lightning that played amongst them was also destroyed. Within a moment the sky was cleared of dust and darkness, and a delicious, cool breeze began to blow and the disc of the sun resumed its normal state. Then the eater of clarified butter (), glad because none could baffle him, assumed various forms, and sprinkled over with the fat exuded by the bodies of creatures, blazed forth with all his flames, filling the universe with his roar. Then numerous birds of the tribe bearing excellent feathers, beholding that the forest was protected by and , descended filled with pride, from the upper skies, desirous of striking those heroes with their thunderlike wings, beaks and claws. Innumerable Nagas also, with faces emitting fire descending from high, approached , vomiting the most virulent poison all the while. Beholding them approach, cut them into pieces by means of arrows steeped in the fire of his own wrath. Then those birds and snakes, deprived of life, fell into the burning element below. And there came also, desirous of battle, innumerable Asuras with Gandharvas and Yakshas and Rakshasas and Nagas sending forth terrific yells. Armed with machines vomiting from their throats (mouths?) iron balls and bullets, and catapults for propelling huge stones, and rockets, they approached to strike and , their energy and strength increased by wrath. But though they rained a perfect shower of weapons, , addressing them reproachfully, struck off their heads with his own sharp arrows. That slayer of foes, , also, endued with great energy, made a great slaughter of the Daitya and the Danava with his discus. Many Asuras of immeasurable might, pierced with 's arrows and smitten with the force of his discus, became motionless like waifs and strays stranded on the bank by the violence of the waves. Then the lord of the celestials, riding on his white elephant, rushed at those heroes, and taking up his thunderbolt which could never go in vain, hurled it with great force. And the slayer of Asuras said unto to the gods, 'These two are slain.' Beholding the fierce thunderbolt about to be hurled by their chief, the celestials all took up their respective weapons. , O king, took up the death-dealing mace, and his spiked club, and his noose and beautiful missile. And Skanda (Kartikeya) took up his long lance and stood motionless like the mountain of Meru. The Aswins stood there with resplendent plants in their hands. Dhatri stood, bow in hand, and Jaya with a thick club. Tvashtri of great strength took up in wrath, a huge mountain and stood with a bright dart, and Mrityu with a battle-axe. Aryaman stalked about with a terrible bludgeon furnished with sharp spikes, and Mitra stood there with a discus sharp as a razor. And, O monarch, Pusha and Bhaga and , in wrath, rushed at and with bows and scimitars in hand. And Rudras and the Vasus, the mighty Maruts and the Viswedevas and the Sadhyas, all resplendent with their own energy,--these and many other celestials, armed with various weapons rushed against those exalted of men, and , for smiting them down. Then were seen in that great conflict wonderful portents all around robbing every creature of his sense, and resembling those that appeared at the time of the universal dissolution. But and , fearless and invincible in battle, beholding and the other celestials prepared for fight, calmly waited, bows in hands. Skilled in battle, those heroes in wrath assailed the advancing host of celestials with their own thunderlike arrows. The celestials repeatedly routed by and , at last left the field of battle for fear and sought the protection of . The Munis who were witnessing the battle from the skies, beholding the celestials defeated by and , were filled with wonder. also repeatedly witnessing their prowess in battle, became exceedingly gratified, and once more rushed to the assault. The chastiser of Paka then caused a heavy shower of stones, desiring to ascertain the prowess of who was able to draw the bow even with his left hand. , in great wrath, dispelled with his arrows that thick shower. Then he of a hundred sacrifices beholding that shower baffled, once more caused a thicker shower of stones. But the son of the chastiser of Paka (viz., ) gratified his father by baffling that shower also with his swift arrows. Then , desirous of smiting down the son of , tore up with his hands a large peak from Mandara, with tall trees on it, and hurled it against him. But divided that mountain-peak into a thousand pieces by his swift-going and fire-mouthed arrows. The fragments of that mountain, in falling through the skies, looked as if the sun and the moon and the planets, displaced from their positions fell down on earth. That huge peak fell down upon that forest and by its fall killed numerous living creatures that dwelt in Khandava.'"
(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
" said, 'Then the inhabitants of the forest of Khandava, the Danavas and Rakshasas and Nagas and wolves and bears and other wild animals, and elephants with rent temples, and tigers, and lions with manes and deer and buffaloes by hundreds, and birds, and various other creatures, frightened at the falling stones and extremely anxious, began to fly in all directions. They saw the forest (burning all around) and and also ready with their weapons. Frightened at the terrible sounds that were audible there those creatures lost their power of movement. Beholding the forest burning in innumerable places and also ready to smite them down with his weapons, they all set up a frightful roar. With that terrible clamour as also with the roar of fire, the whole welkin resounded, as it were, with the voice of portentous clouds. of dark hue and mighty arms, in order to compass their destruction, hurled at them his large and fierce discus resplendent with its own energy. The forest-dwellers including the Danavas and the Rakshasas, afflicted by that weapon, were cut in hundreds of pieces and fell unto to the mouth of . Mangled by 's discus, the Asuras were besmeared with blood and fat and looked like evening clouds. And, O Bharata, he of the Vrishni race moved able like death itself, slaying Pisachas and birds and Nagas and other creatures by thousands. The discus itself, repeatedly hurled from the hands of , that slayer of all foes, came back to his hands after slaughtering numberless creatures. The face and form of that soul of every created thing--became fierce to behold while he was thus employed in the slaughter of the Pisachas, Nagas and Rakshasas. No one among the celestials, who had mustered there could vanquish in battle and . When the celestials saw that they could not protect that forest from the might of and by extinguishing that conflagration, they retired from the scene. Then, O monarch, he of a hundred sacrifices (), beholding the immortals retreat, became filled with joy and applauded and . And when the celestials gave up the fight, an incorporeal voice, deep and loud, addressing him of a hundred sacrifices, said, 'Thy your friend , that chief of snakes, hath has not been slain! Before the conflagration commenced in Khandava he had journeyed to Kurukshetra. Know from my words, O , that and are incapable of being vanquished in battle by any one! They are and --those gods of old heard of in heaven! Thou you knowest know what their energy is and what their prowess. Invincible in battle, these best of old Rishis are unconquerable by any one in all the worlds! They deserve the most reverential worship of all the celestials and Asuras; of Yakshas and Rakshasas and Gandharvas, of human beings and Kinnaras and Nagas. Therefore, O , it behoveth behooves thee you to go hence with all the celestials. The destruction of Khandava hath has been ordained by Fate!' Then the chief of the immortals, ascertaining those words to be true abandoned his wrath and jealousy, and went back to heaven. The dwellers in heaven, O monarch, beholding the illustrious abandon the fight, followed him with all their soldiers. Then those heroes, and , when they saw the chief of the celestials retreat accompanied by all the gods, set up a leonine roar. And, O monarch, and , after had left the scene, became exceedingly glad. Those heroes then fearlessly assisted at the conflagration of the forest. scattered the celestials like the wind scattering the clouds, and slew with showers of his arrows, numberless creatures that dwelt in Khandava. Cut off by 's arrows, no one amongst the innumerable creatures could escape from the burning forest. Far from fighting with him, none amongst even the strongest creatures mustered there could look at whose weapons were never futile. Sometimes piercing hundred creatures with one shaft and sometimes a single creature with hundred shafts, moved about in his car. The creatures themselves, deprived of life, began to fall into the mouth of (), struck down as it were by death itself. On the banks of rivers or on uneven plains or on crematoriums, go where they did, the creatures (dwelling in Khandava) found no ease, for wherever they sought shelter there they were afflicted by the heat. And hosts of creatures roared in pain, and elephants and deer and wolves set up cries of affliction. At that sound the fishes of the Ganges and the sea, and the various tribes of Vidyadharas dwelling in that forest all became frightened. O thou you of mighty arms, let alone battling with them, no one, could even gaze at and of dark hue. slew with his discus those Rakshasas and Danavas and Nagas that rushed at him in bands. Of huge bodies, their heads and trunks were cut off by the swift motion of the discus, and deprived of life they fell down into the blazing fire. Gratified with large quantities of flesh, blood, and fat, the flames rose up to a great height without a curling wreath of smoke. (fire-god) with blazing and coppery eyes, and flaming tongue and large mouth, and the hair on the crown of his head all fiery, drinking, with the help of and , that nectar-like stream of animal fat, became filled with joy. Gratified greatly, derived much happiness.
"And it so happened that the slayer of Madhu suddenly beheld an Asura of the name of escaping from the abode of . having for his car-driver, assuming a body with matted locks on head, and roaring like the clouds, pursued the Asura, desirous of consuming him. Beholding the Asura, stood with his weapon upraised, ready to smite him down, seeing the discus uplifted and pursuing from behind to burn him, said 'Run to me, O , and protect me!' Hearing his affrighted voice said, 'Fear not!' That voice of , O Bharata, seemed to give his life. As the merciful son of said unto to that there was nothing to fear, he of the race no longer desired to slay who was the brother of Namuchi, and also burned him not.'
" continued, 'Protected from by and , gifted with great intelligence, burned that forest for five and ten days. And while the forest burned spared only six of its dwellers, viz., Aswasena, , and four birds called Sarngakas.'"