"'Yudhishthira said, "O grandsire, thou art possessed of great wisdom.
Indeed, thou art fully conversant with every branch of learning. In our
great race thou art the only individual that swellest with all the
sciences. I desire to hear from thee discourses that are interwoven with
Religion and Profit, that lead to felicity hereafter, and that are
fraught with wonder unto all creatures. The time that has come is fraught
with great distress. The like of it does not generally come to kinsmen
and friends. Indeed, save thee, O foremost of men, we have now none else
that can take the place of an instructor. If, O sinless one, I with my
brothers deserve the favour, it behoveth thee to answer the question I
desire to ask thee. This one is Narayana who is endued with every
prosperity and is honoured by all the kings. Even he waits upon thee,
showing thee every indulgence and honouring thee greatly. It behoveth
thee to discourse unto me, through affection, for my benefit as also for
that of my brothers, in the presence of Vasudeva himself and of all these
kings."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira,
Bhishma, the son of the river called after Bhagiratha, filled with joy in
consequence of his affection for the monarch and his brothers, said what
follows.'[559]
"'Bhishma said, "I shall certainly recite to thee discourses that are
delightful, on the subject, O king, of the puissance of this Vishnu as
displayed in days of yore and as I have heard (from my preceptors).
Listen to me also as I describe the puissance of that great god who has a
bull for his device. Listen to me as I narrate also the doubt that filled
the mind of the spouse of Rudra and that of Rudra himself. Once on a time
the righteous souled Krishna observed a vow extending for ten and two
years. For beholding him who had gone through the rite of initiation for
the observance of his great vow, there came to that place Narada and
Parvata, and the Island-born Krishna, and Dhaumya, that foremost of
silent reciters, and Devala, and Kasyapa, and Hastikasyapa. Other Rishis
also, endued with Diksha and self-restraint, followed by their disciples
and accompanied by many Siddhas and many ascetics of great merit, came
there. The son of Devaki offered them such honours of hospitality as are
deserving of the highest praise and as are offered unto the gods alone.
Those great Rishis sat themselves down upon seats some of which were
green and some endued with the colour of gold and some that were fraught
with the plumes of the peacock and some that were perfectly new and
fresh. Thus seated, they began to converse sweetly with one another on
subjects connected with Religion and duty as also with many royal sages
and deities. At that time the energy, in the form of fire, Narayana,
rising from the fuel that consisted of the rigid observance of his vow,
issued out of the mouth of Krishna of wonderful feats. That fire began to
consume those mountains with their trees and creepers and little plants,
as also with their birds and deer and beasts of prey and reptiles. Soon
the summit of that mountain presented a distressing and pitiful
appearance, Inhabited by animals of diverse kinds which began to utter
cries of woe and pain, the summit soon became bereft of every living
creature. That fire of mighty flames, having consumed everything without
leaving a remnant at last came back to Vishnu and touched his feet like a
docile disciple. That crusher of foes, viz., Krishna, beholding that
mountain burnt, cast a benignant look upon it and thereby brought it back
to its former condition. That mountain thereupon once more became adorned
with flowering trees and creepers, and once more echoed with the notes
and cries of birds and deer and animals of prey and reptiles. Seeing that
wonderful and inconceivable sight, all the ascetics became amazed. Their
hairs stood on end and their vision was blurred with tears. That foremost
of speakers, Narayana, beholding those Rishis thus filled with wonder,
addressed them in these sweet and refreshing words, 'Why, indeed, has
wonder filled the hearts of this assemblage of Rishis, these ascetics
that are always free from attachment of every kind, that are divested of
the idea of meum, and that are fully conversant with every sacred
science? It behoveth these Rishis possessed of wealth of penances and
freed from every stain to explain to me truly this doubt that has arisen
in my mind.'
"'"The Rishis said, 'It is thou that createst all the worlds, and it is
thou that destroyest them again. It is thou that art Winter, it is thou
that art Summer, and it is thou that art the season of rains. Of all the
creatures, mobile and immobile, that are found on the earth, thou art the
father, thou art the mother, thou art the master, and thou art the
origin! Even this, O slayer of Madhu, is a matter of wonder and doubt
with us. O source of all auspiciousness, it behoveth Thee to resolve to
us that doubt, viz., the issue of fire from Thy mouth. Our fears being
dispelled we shall then, O Hari, recite to thee what we have heard and
seen.'
"'"Vasudeva said, 'The fire that issued from my mouth and that resembles
the all-consuming Yuga-fire in splendour, and by which this mountain has
been crushed and scorched, is nothing else than the energy of Vishnu. Ye
Rishis, ye are persons that have subjugated wrath, that have brought your
senses under complete control, that are endued with wealth of penances,
and that are very gods in puissance. Yet ye have suffered yourselves to
be agitated and distressed! I am now engaged wholly with the observances
relating to rigid vow. Verily, in consequence of my observing the vows of
an ascetic, a fire issued from my mouth. It behoves you not to suffer
yourselves to be agitated. It is for observing a rigid vow that I came to
this delightful and auspicious mountain. The object that has brought me
here is to acquire by the aid of penances a son that would be my equal in
energy. In consequence of my penances, the Soul existing in my body
became transformed into fire and issued out of my mouth. That fire had
repaired to behold the boon-giving Grandsire of all the universe. The
Grandsire, ye foremost of ascetics, told my soul that half the energy of
the great god having the bull for his device would take birth as my son.
That fire returning from its mission, has come back to me and approached
my feet like a disciple desirous of serving me dutifully. Indeed, casting
off its fury it has come back to me to its own proper nature. I have thus
told you, in brief, a mystery appertaining to Him who has the lotus for
his origin and who is endued with great intelligence. Ye Rishis possessed
of wealth of penances, ye should not give way to fear! Ye are endued with
far-reaching vision. Ye can proceed to every place without any
impediment. Blazing with vows observed by ascetics, ye are adorned with
knowledge and science. I now ask you to tell me something that is highly
wonderful which you have heard of or seen on earth or in heaven. I feel
an eager desire to taste the honey of that speech which will drop from
your lips, the honey that will, I am sure, be as sweet as a jet of nectar
itself. If I behold anything on earth or in heaven, which is highly
delightful and of wonderful aspect but which is unknown to all of you, ye
Rishis that look like so many gods, I say that that is in consequence of
my own Supreme Nature which is incapable of being obstructed by anything.
Anything wonderful whose knowledge dwelleth in me or is acquired by my
own inspiration ceases to appear wonderful to me. Anything, however, that
is recited by pious persons and that is heard from those that are good,
deserves to be accepted with respect and faith. Such discourses exist on
earth for a long time and are as durable as characters engraved on rocks.
I desire, therefore, to hear, at this meeting something dropping from the
lips of persons that are good and that cannot fail to be productive of
good to men.' Hearing these words of Krishna all those ascetics became
filled with surprise. They began to gaze at Janardana with those eyes of
theirs that were as beautiful and large as the petals of the lotus. Some
of them began to glorify him and some began to worship him with
reverence. Indeed, all of them then hymned the praises of the slayer of
Madhu with words whose meanings were adorned with the eternal Riks. All
those ascetics then appointed Narada, that foremost of all persons
conversant with speech, to gratify the request of Vasudeva.
"'"The ascetics said, 'It behoveth thee, O Narada, to describe, in full,
from the beginning, unto Hrishikesa, that wonderful and inconceivable
incident which occurred, O puissant one, on the mountains of Himavat and
which, O ascetic, was witnessed by those of us that had proceeded thither
in course of our pilgrimage to the sacred waters. Verily, for the benefit
of all the Rishis here assembled, it behoveth thee to recite that
incident.' Thus addressed by those ascetics, the celestial Rishi, viz.,
the divine Narada, then recited the following story whose incidents had
occurred some time before."'"