01.220
Pancharatra: Sharngakas escaped fire due to the boon Mandapala got from Agni.
janamejaya uvāca॥
Janamejaya said.
kimarthaṃ śārṅgakānagnir na dadāha tathāgate। tasmin vane dahyamāne brahman etad vada āśu me ॥1-220-1॥
O Brāhman, tell me quickly for what reason the fire did not burn the Śārṅgakas when he had arrived in that burning forest.
adāhe hyaśvasenasya dānavasya mayasya ca। kāraṇaṃ kīrtitaṃ brahmañśārṅgakānāṃ na kīrtitam ॥1-220-2॥
I did not burn Aśvasena, the Dānava, and Maya; O Brahman, the reason for this has been stated, but the reason for the Śārṅgakas has not been mentioned.
tad etad adbhutaṃ brahmañ śārṅgānām avināśanam। kīrtayasvāgni-saṃmarde kathaṃ te na vināśitāḥ ॥1-220-3॥
O Brahman, this is indeed a wonderful thing—the indestructibility of the Śārṅgas. Please describe, in the conflict with fire, how they were not destroyed.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
yadarthaṃ śārṅgakān agnir na dadāha tathāgate। tat te sarvaṃ yathāvṛttaṃ kathayiṣyāmi bhārata॥1-220-4॥
O Bhārata, I will tell you everything, just as it happened, about why the fire did not burn the Śārṅgakas when he arrived.
dharmajñānāṃ mukhyatamastapasvī saṃśitavrataḥ। āsīnmaharṣiḥ śrutavānmandapāla iti śrutaḥ ॥1-220-5॥
Among those who know dharma, the foremost ascetic of firm vows was the great sage known as the learned Mandapala.
sa mārgam-āsthito rājan ṛṣīṇām ūrdhvaretasām। svādhyāyavān dharmaratas tapasvī vijitendriyaḥ ॥1-220-6॥
O king, he followed the path of the celibate sages, devoted to self-study, delighting in dharma, ascetic, and self-controlled.
sa gatvā tapasaḥ pāraṃ deham utsṛjya bhārata। jagāma pitṛlokāya na lebhe tatra tatphalam ॥1-220-7॥
Having completed his austerities and given up his body, he, O Bhārata, went to the world of the ancestors, but there he did not receive the fruit (of his actions).
sa lokānaphalāndṛṣṭvā tapasā nirjitānapi। papraccha dharmarājasya samīpasthāndivaukasaḥ ॥1-220-8॥
He saw that the worlds attained by austerity were fruitless, and so he asked the celestials who stood near Dharmarāja.
kimartham āvṛtā lokā mamaite tapasārjitāḥ। kiṃ mayā na kṛtaṃ tatra yasyedaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam ॥1-220-9॥
For what reason have these worlds, which are mine and acquired by my austerity, been obtained? What is it that I have not done there, for which this is the fruit of action?
tatrāhaṃ tatkariṣyāmi yadarthamidamāvṛtam। phalametasya tapasaḥ kathayadhvaṃ divaukasaḥ ॥1-220-10॥
There, I shall do that for which this has been undertaken. O gods, tell me the fruit of this penance.
devā ūcuḥ॥
The gods said.
ṛṇino mānavā brahmañ jāyante yena tac chṛṇu। kriyābhir brahmacaryeṇa prajayā ca na saṃśayaḥ ॥1-220-11॥
Hear how humans are born as debtors to Brahman: by rites, by celibacy, and by progeny—there is no doubt about this.
tad apākriyate sarvaṃ yajñena tapasā sutaiḥ। tapasvī yajñakṛc cāsi na tu te vidyate prajā ॥1-220-12॥
All that is removed by sacrifice, austerity, and sons. You are an ascetic and a performer of sacrifice, but you have no offspring.
ta ime prasavasya arthe tava lokāḥ samāvṛtāḥ। prajāyasva tato lokān upabhoktāsi śāśvatān ॥1-220-13॥
These worlds of yours are filled for the purpose of creation. Beget progeny, and then you shall enjoy the eternal worlds.
punnāmno narakāt putras trātīti pitaraṃ mune। tasmād apatyasantāne yatasva dvijasattama ॥1-220-14॥
O sage, a son is called 'Punnāma' because he delivers his father from the hell named Punnāma. Therefore, O best of the twice-born, strive to have children.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tacchrutvā mandapālastu teṣāṃ vākyaṃ divaukasām। kva nu śīghramapatyaṃ syādbahulaṃ cetyacintayat ॥1-220-15॥
Having heard that, Mandapala considered the words of the dwellers of heaven and thought, "Where indeed might there quickly be abundant offspring?"
sa cintayann abhyagacchad bahula-prasavān khagān। śārṅgikāṃ śārṅgako bhūtvā jaritāṃ samupeyivān॥1-220-16॥
Thinking thus, he approached the birds with many offspring; becoming the Śārṅga bird, he went to Jaritā, the Śārṅgikā.
tasyāṃ putrān ajanayac caturō brahmavādinaḥ। tān apāsya sa tatraiva jagāma lapitāṃ prati ॥ bālān sutān aṇḍagatān mātrā saha munir vane ॥1-220-17॥
He begot four sons in her, all knowers of Brahman. Leaving them there, he went to Lapitā. The sage, along with the mother, left the young sons, who were still in the egg, in the forest.
tasmin gate mahābhāge lapitāṃ prati bhārata। apatyasnehasaṃvignā jaritā bahvacintayat ॥1-220-18॥
O Bhārata, after the departure of the greatly fortunate one, Jaritā, filled with affection for her child, thought deeply about Lapitā.
tena tyaktānasantyājyānṛṣīnaṇḍagatānvane। nājahatputrakānārtā jaritā khāṇḍave nṛpa ॥ babhāra caitānsanjātānsvavṛttyā snehaviklavā ॥1-220-19॥
By him, both the abandoned and those sages who should not be abandoned, as well as the unborn beings in the forest, were not abandoned; nor did the distressed Jaritā in Khāṇḍava abandon her sons, O king. And she, overcome by affection, raised these children by her own conduct.
tato'gniṃ khāṇḍavaṃ dagdhumāyāntaṃ dṛṣṭavān ṛṣiḥ। mandapālaś caraṃs tasmin vane lapitayā saha ॥1-220-20॥
Then the sage saw Agni approaching to burn the Khandava forest; Mandapala was wandering there in the forest together with Lapita.
taṃ saṅkalpaṃ viditvā'sya jñātvā putrāṃś ca bālakān। so'bhituṣṭāva viprarṣir brāhmaṇo jātavedasam ॥ putrān paridadad bhīto lokapālaṃ mahaujasaṃ ॥1-220-21॥
Having understood his resolve and his sons, the Brāhmaṇa sage praised Agni (Jātavedas). Out of fear, he entrusted his sons to the mighty protector of the world.
mandapāla uvāca॥
Mandapāla said.
tvam agne sarvadevānāṃ mukhaṃ tvam asi havyavāṭ। tvam antaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ gūḍhaś carasi pāvaka ॥1-220-22॥
O Agni, you are the mouth of all the gods and the conveyor of offerings. You dwell hidden within all beings and move as the purifier.
tvām ekam āhuḥ kavayas tvām āhus trividhaṃ punaḥ। tvām aṣṭadhā kalpayitvā yajñavāham akalpayan ॥1-220-23॥
The sages say you are one; they also say you are threefold. Again, having conceived you in eight forms, they made you the bearer of the sacrifice.
tvayā sṛṣṭam idaṃ viśvaṃ vadanti paramarṣayaḥ। tvadṛte hi jagat kṛtsnaṃ sadyo na syād hutāśana ॥1-220-24॥
The supreme sages say that this universe was created by you; without you, O Fire-god, the entire world would not exist even for a moment.
tubhyaṃ kṛtvā namo viprāḥ svakarma-vijitāṃ gatim। gacchanti saha patnībhiḥ sutair api ca śāśvatīm ॥1-220-25॥
After offering obeisance to you, Brāhmaṇas who have attained the state through their own actions proceed, along with their wives and sons, to the eternal realm.
tvām agne jaladān āhuḥ khe viṣaktān savidyutaḥ। dahanti sarvabhūtāni tvatto niṣkramya hāyanāḥ॥1-220-26॥
O Agni, you are called the clouds in the sky, scattered with lightning. The years, which have emerged from you, burn all beings.
jātavedas tavai veyam viśvasṛṣṭir mahādyute। tavaiva karma vihitaṃ bhūtaṃ sarvaṃ carācaram॥1-220-27॥
O Jātavedas, O great effulgent one, this entire creation is indeed yours. All actions, all that exists, both moving and unmoving, have been ordained by you alone.
tvayāpo vihitāḥ pūrvaṃ tvayi sarvamidaṃ jagat। tvayi havyaṃ ca kavyaṃ ca yathāvatsampratiṣṭhitam ॥1-220-28॥
You established the waters in the beginning; all this world exists in you; in you, both the offerings to gods and to ancestors are properly established.
agne tvam eva jvalanas tvaṃ dhātā tvaṃ bṛhaspatiḥ। tvam aśvinau yamau mitraḥ somas tvam asi cānilaḥ ॥1-220-29॥
O Agni, you alone are the fire, the creator, Bṛhaspati, the Aśvins, the Yamas, Mitra, Soma, and also Anila (the wind).
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
evaṃ stutastatastena mandapālena pāvakaḥ। tutoṣa tasya nṛpate muneramitatejasaḥ ॥ uvāca cainaṃ prītātmā kimiṣṭaṃ karavāṇi te ॥1-220-30॥
Thus, when Mandapala praised him, Agni, pleased with the sage of immeasurable energy, O king, spoke to him with a delighted mind: "What do you wish me to do for you?"
tam abravīn mandapālaḥ prāñjalir havyavāhanam। pradahan khāṇḍavam dāvaṃ mama putrān visarjaya ॥1-220-31॥
Mandapala, folding his hands, said to Agni, "As you burn the Khandava forest, please spare my sons."
tatheti tatpratiśrutya bhagavānhavyavāhanaḥ। khāṇḍave tena kālena prajajvāla didhakṣayā ॥1-220-32॥
Thus, having promised, the revered Agni blazed up in Khāṇḍava at that time, desiring to consume it by fire.
