(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
" said, 'O Brahmana, tell me why and when that forest burnt in that way, consumed not the birds called Sarngakas? Thou you hast have, O Brahmana, recited (to us) the cause of Aswasena and the Danava not having been consumed. But thou you hast have not as yet said what the cause was of the escape of the Sarngakas? The escape of those birds, O Brahmana, appeareth appears to me to be wonderful. Tell us why they were not destroyed in that dreadful conflagration.'
" said, 'O slayer of all foes, I shall tell thee you all as to why did not burn up those birds during the conflagration. There was, O king, a great Rishi known by the name of , conversant with all the shastras, of rigid vows, devoted to asceticism, and the foremost of all virtuous persons. Following in the wake of Rishis that had drawn up their virile fluid, that ascetic, O monarch, with every sense under complete control, devoted himself to study and virtue. Having reached the opposite shores of asceticism, O Bharata, he left his human form and went to the region of the Pitris. But going thither there he failed to obtain the (expected) fruit of his acts. He asked the celestials that sat around the king of the dead as to the cause of his treatment, saying, 'Why have these regions become unattainable by me,--regions that I had thought had been acquired by me by my ascetic devotions? Have I not performed those acts whose fruits are these regions? Ye you inhabitants of heaven, tell me why these regions are shut against me! I will do that which will give me the fruit of my ascetic penances.'
"The celestials answered, 'Hear, O Brahmana, of those acts and things on account of which men are born debtors. Without doubt, it is for religious rites, studies according to the ordinance, and progeny, that men are born debtors. These debts are all discharged by sacrifices, asceticism, and offspring. Thou you art an ascetic and hast have also performed sacrifices; but thou you hast have no offspring. These regions are shut against thee you only for want of children. Beget children, therefore! Thou you shalt shall then enjoy multifarious regions of felicity. The Vedas declared that the son rescueth rescues the father from a hell called Put. Then, O best of Brahmanas, strive to beget offspring.'
" continued, ', having heard these words of the dwellers in heaven, reflected how best he could obtain the largest number of offspring within the shortest period of time. The Rishi, after reflection, understood that of all creatures birds alone were blest with fecundity. Assuming the form of a Sarngaka the Rishi had connection with a female bird of the same species called by the name of Jarita. And he begat upon her four sons who were all reciters of the Vedas. Leaving all those sons of his with their mother in that forest, while they were still within eggs, the ascetic went to (another wife called by the name of) Lapita. And, O Bharata, when the exalted sage went away for the company of Lapita, moved by affection for her offspring, Jarita became very thoughtful. Though forsaken by their father in the forest of Khandava, Jarita, anxious in her affection for them, could not forsake her offspring, those infant Rishis encased in eggs. Moved by parental affection, she brought up these children born of her, herself following the pursuits proper to her own species. Some time after, the Rishi, in wandering over that forest in the company of Lapita, saw coming towards Khandava to burn it down. Then the Brahmana , knowing the intention of and remembering also that his children were all young moved by fear, gratified the god, of the burning element, that regent of the universe, endued with great energy. And he did this, desiring to put in a word for his unfledged offspring. Addressing , the Rishi said, 'Thou you art, O , the mouth of all the worlds! Thou you art the carrier of the sacrificial butter! O purifier (of all sins), thou you movest move invisible with the frame of every creature! The learned have spoken of thee you as an One, and again as possessed of triple nature. The wise perform their sacrifices before thee you, taking thee you as consisting of eight (mouths). The great Rishis declare that this universe hath has been created by thee you. O thou you that feedest on sacrificial butter, without thee you this whole universe would be destroyed in a single day. Bowing to thee you, the Brahmanas, accompanied by their wives and children, go to eternal regions won by them by help of their own deeds. O , the learned represent thee you as the clouds in the heavens charged with lightning. O , the flames put forth by thee you consume every creature. O thou you of great splendour, this universe hath has been created by thee you. The Vedas are thy your word. All creatures, mobile and immobile, depend upon thee you. Water primarily dependeth depends on thee you, so also the whole of this universe. All offerings of clarified butter and oblations of food to the pitris have been established in thee you. O god, thou you art the consumer, and thou you art and thou you art himself (in intelligence). Thou you art the twin Aswins; thou you art ; thou you art ; thou you art .
" continued, 'O monarch, thus praised by , was gratified with that Rishi of immeasurable energy; and the god, well-pleased, replied, 'What good can I do to thee you?' Then with joined palms said unto to the carrier of clarified butter, 'While thou you burnest burn the forest of Khandava, spare my children.' The illustrious bearer of clarified butter replied, 'So be it.' It was, therefore, O monarch, that he blazed not forth, while consuming the forest of Khandava, for the destruction of 's children.'"
(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
" said, 'When the fire blazed forth in the forest of Khandava, the infant birds became very much distressed and afflicted. Filled with anxiety, they saw not any means of escape. Their mother, the helpless Jarita, knowing that they were too young to escape, was filled with sorrow and wept aloud. And she said, 'Oh, the terrible conflagration, illuminating the whole universe and burning the forest down, approacheth approaches towards us, increasing my woe. These infants with immature understanding, without feathers and feet, and the sole refuge of our deceased ancestors, afflict me. Oh, this fire approacheth approaches, spreading fear all around, and licking with its tongue the tallest trees. But my unfledged children are incapable of effecting their escape. I myself am not capable of escaping, taking all these with me. Nor am I capable of abandoning them, for my heart is distressed on their account. Whom amongst my sons, shall I leave behind, and whom shall I carry with me? What (act) should I do now that is consistent with duty? What also do you, my infant sons, think? I do not, even by reflection, see any way of escape for you. I shall even cover you with my wings and die with you. Your cruel father left me some time before, saying, 'Upon this Jaritari, because he is the eldest of my sons, will my race depend. My second Sarisrikka will beget progeny for the expansion of my ancestors' race. My third, Stamvamitra, will be devoted to asceticism, and my youngest, Drona, will become the foremost of those acquainted with the Vedas.' But how hath has this terrible calamity overtaken us! Whom shall I take with me? As I am deprived of judgment what should I do that is consistent with duty? I do not see, by the exercise of my own judgment, the escape of my children from the fire!'
" said, 'Unto to their mother indulging in these lamentations, the infant ones said. 'O mother, relinquishing thy your affection for us, go thou you to a place where there is no fire. If we are killed here, thou you mayest may have other children born to thee you. If thou you, O mother be killed, we can have no more children in our race. Reflecting upon both these calamities, the time hath has come for thee you, O mother, to do that which is beneficial to our race. Do not be influenced by affection for thy your offspring, which promises to destroy both us and thee you. If thou you savest save thyself, our father, who is even desirous of winning regions of felicity, may have his wishes gratified.'
"Hearing what the infants said. Jarita replied, 'There is a hole here in the ground near to this tree, belonging to a mouse. Enter this hole without loss of time. You shall have then no fear of fire. After ye you have entered it, I shall, ye you children, cover its mouth with dust. This is the only means of escape that I see from the blazing fire. Then when the fire will be put out, I shall return hither here to remove the dust. Follow my advice if you are to escape from the conflagration.'
"The infant birds replied, 'Without feathers we are but so many balls of flesh. If we enter the hole, certain it is that the carnivorous mouse will destroy us all. Beholding this danger before us, we cannot enter this hole. Alas, we do not see any means by which we may escape from the fire or from the mouse. We do not see how our father's act of procreation may be prevented from becoming futile, and how also our mother may be saved. If we enter the hole, the mouse will destroy us; we remain where we are and the sky-ranging fire will destroy us. Reflecting upon both the calamities, a death by fire is preferable to a death by being eaten up. If we are devoured by the mouse within the hole, that death is certainly ignoble, whereas the destruction of the body in fire is approved by the wise.'"
(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
" said, 'Hearing those words of her sons Jarita continued, 'The little mouse that had come out of this hole was seized by a hawk with his claws and carried away hence. Therefore, ye you may fearlessly enter this hole now.' The young ones replied, 'We are not by any means certain of that mouse having been taken away by the hawk. There may be other mice living here. From them we have every fear. Whereas it is doubtful whether fire will at all approach us here. Already we see an adverse wind blowing the flames away. If we enter the hole, death is certain at the hands of the dwellers in the hole. But if we remain where we are, death is uncertain. O mother, a position in which death is uncertain is better than that in which it is certain. It is thy your duty, therefore, to escape thyself, for, if thou you livest live thou you mayest may obtain other children as good.'
"Their mother then said, 'Ye you children, I myself saw the mighty hawk, that best of birds, swoop down and fly away with the mouse from the hole. And while he was flying away swiftly, I followed him behind and pronounced blessing on him for his having taken away the mouse from the hole. I said unto to him. 'O king of hawks, because thou you art flying away with our enemy, the mouse, in thy your claws, mayest may thou you, without a foe, live in heaven with a golden body.' Afterwards when that hawk devoured the mouse, I came away, obtaining his leave. Therefore, ye you children, enter this hole trustfully. Ye you have nothing to fear. The mouse that was its inmate was seized and taken away by the hawk in my sight.' The young ones again said, 'O mother, we do not by any means know that the mouse hath has been carried away by the hawk. We cannot enter this hole in the ground without being certain of the fact.' Their mother said, 'I know to a certainty that the mouse hath has been carried away by the hawk. Therefore, ye you children, ye you have nothing to fear; do what I say.' The young ones again said, 'We do not, O mother, say that thou you art dispelling our fears with a false story. For whatever is done by a person when his reason hath has been disturbed can scarcely be said to be that person's deliberate act. Thou you hast have not been benefited by us, nor dost do thou you know who we are. Why dost do thou you, therefore, strive to protect us at so much cost to thyself? Who are we to thee you? Thou you art young and handsome, and capable of seeking out thy your husband. Go unto to thy your husband. Thou you shalt shall obtain good children again. Let us by entering the fire attain to regions of felicity. If, however, the fire consume us not, thou you mayest may come back and obtain us again.'
" said, 'The parent bird then, thus addressed by her sons, left them in Khandava and hastily went to the spot where there was no fire and there was safety. Then in haste and with fierce flames approached the spot where the sons of were. The young birds saw the blazing fire come towards them. Then Jaritari, the eldest of the four, in the hearing of , began to speak.'"