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Nārada said.
Then, having removed her sorrow, that weak woman, with very wide eyes, bent like a creeper, joined her palms and spoke.
O best of speakers, how could a woman like me, created by you, who performs fierce deeds and causes fear to all beings, be born?
I am afraid of unrighteousness; instruct me in righteous action; please look upon me, who am fearful, with the auspicious eye of the Lord.
O Lord of living beings, I should not take away the lives of children, the aged, or those of mature age who are innocent. O Lord, I bow to you; please be gracious to me.
O god, I am afraid that the dear sons, friends, brothers, mothers, and fathers of those who have died will imagine them.
The soaking of miserable tears may burn me for endless years. Out of great fear of them, I have come to you for refuge.
O god, those who perform sinful actions go to the abode of Yama. O bestower of boons, I beseech you; O lord, please bestow your grace upon me.
O grandsire of the world, this is the wish I desire from you. O lord of the gods, by your grace, I wish to perform austerities.
The paternal grandfather said.
O Death, you have been appointed by me for the destruction of beings. Go and destroy all creatures; do not hesitate or consider further.
This will certainly happen exactly as stated; it cannot be otherwise. O faultless one, let my words be carried out as I have said, O sinless one.
Nārada said.
O mighty-armed conqueror of enemy cities, when thus addressed, Death remained silent and stood humbly, facing the Lord.
Again and again she was addressed, but the lady, as if bereft of life, remained silent; then the god, the lord of lords among the gods, acted.
Brahmā, truly pleased and self-possessed, smiled and gazed upon all the worlds as the lord of the worlds.
It is said that when the anger subsided in the venerable unconquered one, the maiden left his presence.
O King, having withdrawn without making a promise regarding the destruction of the subjects, Death, hastening, then approached Dhenuka.
There, the supreme goddess performed extremely difficult austerities. For a whole year, she stood on one foot, upon fifteen lotuses.
As she was thus engaged in performing that extremely difficult austerity there, Brahmā, the one of great splendor, again spoke these words.
O Death, do as I say, quickly disregarding that. In the same way, O dear, at once, she again (does) the other seven.
She stood by six, five, and two lotuses, O bestower of honor. Then, O dear one, she wandered together with the deer among ten thousand lotuses.
Then, O king, having returned, he practiced the highest silence in the waters for seven thousand and one years.
Then the maiden went to the river Kauśikī, O best of the Bharatas. There, living only on air and water, she again undertook austerities.
Then the highly blessed lady went to Gaṅgā and to Meru alone. She stood still like a piece of wood, wishing for the welfare of all beings.
From there, on the summit of the Himalayas where the gods had assembled, O king, with his thumb, to the depth of a span, at another place, then Brahmā stood and earnestly gratified him.
Then, the origin and dissolution of worlds said to her there: "O daughter, what is this that is happening? Let my word be carried out."
Then Death again addressed the venerable grandfather: 'O god, I do not wish to take away the creatures again; I request you.'
Seeing her, afflicted by fear of unrighteousness and again begging, then the god of gods, restraining her, spoke these words.
There is no unrighteousness in you, O Death; we should restrain these beings, O auspicious one. What I said before was false, O gentle one; nothing of that will happen here.
Eternal righteousness is established in you here. I and the wise are always devoted to your welfare.
I grant you this other wish you desire in your mind. Your subjects, afflicted by disease, will not perish because of any fault of yours.
You will assume the form of a man among men, of a woman among women, and of a neuter among the third gender.
Thus addressed, she, with joined palms, spoke again to the great-souled, imperishable lord of the gods, saying 'not this', O great king.
Then the god said to her: "O Death, destroy the humans. Unrighteousness will not be yours; thus, O auspicious one, I will contemplate."
O Death, I saw the tear-drops fallen from the vehicle, those which were previously held by the hands. Those terrible diseases will torment humans when the time comes.
At the end of all beings' lives, you should unite desire and anger together. In this way, immeasurable righteousness will come to you, and as one who acts equally, you will not incur unrighteousness.
Thus, if you protect duty as instructed, you will not immerse yourself in unrighteousness. Therefore, accept the desire that has come to you; unite and then withdraw your creatures here.
She, then known as 'Death', frightened by the curse, certainly said this to him. Then, at the final moment, desire and anger arise, delude, and destroy the life-breaths of living beings.
The diseases of death that bring tears and afflict the bodies of men—these come to all living beings at the end of life. Therefore, do not grieve; understand this with your intellect.
All gods, at the end of the lives of beings, depart and cease to exist, withdrawing just so. In the same way, all humans, at the end of life, depart and cease, like the gods, O king.
Vāyu, the wind, is terrible, of mighty roar and great energy; he is the very life of all living beings. With varied functions in the bodies of embodied beings, therefore Vāyu, the god of gods, is unique and distinguished.
All gods are called mortals at times, and all mortals are sometimes called gods. Therefore, O king, do not grieve for your son; your son, having reached heaven, is now rejoicing.
Thus, death, created by the gods for living beings, comes at the appointed time and takes them away as is proper. And indeed, her diseases, those bringers of tears, also come at the appointed time and take away creatures here.
