SECTION –CII
(Tirtha-yatra Parva Continued)
"Lomasa said, 'The Kalakeyas then having
recourse to that receptacle of waters, which is the abode of Varuna, began
their operations for the destruction of the universe. And during the darkness
of the night those angry Daityas began to devour the Munis they found in woody
retreats and sacred spots. And those wicked wretches devoured in the asylum of
Vasishtha, Brahmanas to the number of a hundred and eighty, besides nine other
ascetics. And, proceeding to the asylum of Chyavana that was inhabited by many
Brahmacharis, they devoured a century of Brahmanas that lived upon fruit and
roots alone. And they began to do all this during the darkness of the night,
while they entered the depths of the sea by day. And they slew a full score of
Brahmanas of subdued souls and leading a Brahmacharya mode of life and living
upon air and water alone, in the retreat of Bharadwaja. And it was thus that
those Danavas the Kalakeyas, intoxicated with prowess of arms and their lives
nearly run out, gradually invaded all the asylums of the Rishis during the
darkness of the night, slaughtering numerous Brahmanas. And, O best of men,
although the Danavas behaved in this way towards the ascetics in woody
retreats, yet men failed to discover anything of them. And every morning people
saw the dead bodies of Munis emaciated with frugal diet, lying on the ground.
And many of those bodies were without flesh and without blood, without marrow,
without entrails, and with limbs separated from one another. And here and there
lay on the ground heaps of bones like masses of conch shells. And the earth was
scattered over with the (sacrificial) contents of broken jars and shattered
ladles for pouring libations of clarified butter and with the sacred fires kept
with care by the ascetics. And the universe afflicted with the terror of the
Kalakeyas, being destitute of Vedic studies and vashats and sacrificial
festivals and religious rites, became entirely cheerless. And, O king, when men
began to perish in this way, the survivors, afflicted with fear, fled for their
lives in all directions. And some fled to caverns and some behind
mountain-streams and springs and some through fear of death, died without much
ado. And some who were brave and mighty bowmen cheerfully went out and took
great trouble in tracking the Danavas. Unable, however, to find them out, for
the Asuras had sought refuge in the depths of the sea, these brave men came
back to their homes gratified with the search. And, O lord of men, when the
universe was being thus destroyed, and when sacrificial festivals and religious
rites had been suspended, the gods became deeply afflicted. And gathering
together with Indra in their midst they began, from fear, to take counsel of
one another. And repairing unto the exalted and uncreate Narayana--that
unvanquished god of Vaikuntha--the celestials sought his protection. And bowing
unto the slayer of Madhu, the gods addressed him, saying, 'O lord, thou art the
creator, the protector, and the slayer of ourselves as well as of the universe.
It is thou who has created this universe with its mobile and immobile
creatures. O thou of eyes like lotus leaves, it was thou who in days of yore
hadst for the benefit of all creatures raised from the sea the sunken earth,
assuming also the form of a boar. And, O best of male beings, assuming also the
form of half-man and half-lion, thou hadst slain in days of yore that ancient
Daitya of mighty prowess known by the name of Hiranyakasipu. And that other
great Asura also, Vali by name, was incapable of being slain by any one.
Assuming the form of a dwarf, thou exiledest him from the three worlds. O lord,
it was by thee that that wicked Asura, Jambha by name, who was a mighty bowman
and who always obstructed sacrifices, was slain. Achievements like these, which
cannot be counted, are thine. O slayer of Madhu, we who have been afflicted
with fear, have thee for our refuge. It is for this, O god of gods, that we
inform thee of our present troubles. Protect the worlds, the gods, and Sakra
also, from a terrible fear.'"
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