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Yudhiṣṭhira said.
O grandsire of the Kurus, this curiosity always remains in my heart, O father. Therefore, I wish to hear it from you.
How is it that the divine sage Uśanā, always known as Kāvya and of great intellect, acts in ways pleasing to the Asuras and is engaged in what is disagreeable to the Devas?
He caused the splendor of those with immeasurable energy to increase; for what reason are the Dānavas always bound in enmity with the best of the gods?
How did Uśanā, the one with the splendor of the immortals, obtain the state of Śukra and attain prosperity? Tell me all this.
O grandsire, I wish to know completely how that radiant one does not go through the middle of the sky.
Bhīṣma said.
O king, listen attentively to all this exactly as it is; I will tell you as I understand and as I have previously heard it, O sinless one.
This sage, a descendant of Bhṛgu, steadfast in truth and firm in his vows, performed acts pleasing to the Asuras for the sake of the compassionate one.
Indra, then Kubera, the king and lord of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas, he also, being powerful, is the lord of the treasury and of the world as well.
Then, the great sage, accomplished in yoga, having entered his own self, restrained the god, the lord of wealth, by yoga, and carried away the wealth.
After his wealth was taken, Kubera found no happiness; troubled and angry, he went to the foremost of the gods.
Then he offered (it) to Śiva, the one of immeasurable brilliance, the foremost among gods, Rudra, the gentle one, the one of many forms.
Kubera said.
Uśanas, whose nature is yoga, having restrained and taken my stolen wealth, departed by means of yoga after making his soul's movement; the great ascetic thus left.
Bhīṣma said.
O king, having heard this, the great yogi, the great lord Maheśvara, became angry, his eyes reddened, and he stood holding his trident.
He said, "Where are they? Where is she?"—having taken up the supreme weapon. Uśanā (Śukra), knowing his intention, shone from afar.
He, the lord, having perceived that anger of the great-souled great yogin, indeed knows the movement and arrival, and knows the place as well.
Uśanā, perfected in yoga, beheld the great-souled Lord Maheśvara at the tip of the trident after deep contemplation and austerity.
Then, having assumed a known form, he, the lord of the gods, with his own hand, aligned the spear, having recognized it, by the bowman perfected in austerity.
Then, the lord with fierce weapons, holding the spear in his hand with immeasurable brilliance, said, "Pinaka."
Seeing Bhārgava with his hand in the middle, Umāpati (Śiva) opened his mouth and slowly inserted the Kakudī finger and his hand.
But Uśanā (Śukra), the great-souled descendant of Bhṛgu, entered the chamber of Maheśvara (Śiva) and moved about there.
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
O king, for what reason did Uśanā (Śukra), the wise one, move about? And what did the greatly radiant one do in the belly of the god of gods?
Bhīṣma said.
Long ago, he entered the water and stood motionless, observing a great vow; O king, countless millions and hundreds of millions of years passed.
He rose from the great lake after performing severe austerities. Then Brahmā, the god above all gods, approached him.
He inquired about the progress of asceticism and his imperishable welfare, and said, "Your asceticism is well-performed," thus spoke Śiva, the Bull-bannered one.
But Śaṅkara, who was great-minded, of inconceivable nature, and always delighting in true dharma, saw also the increase by that union.
O great king, he, being wealthy and a great yogi, shone powerfully in the three worlds by his austerity and wealth.
Then Pinākī (Śiva), whose nature is yoga, entered into meditation. But Uśanā (Śukra), being agitated, hid himself in the belly at that time.
The great yogi, standing there, praised the god. Yet, desiring what was without true essence, he was repelled by the brilliance.
But Uśanā, the great sage who was situated in the belly, then said, 'Grant me your favor,' again and again, O subduer of enemies.
Mahādeva said to him, "Go and obtain release with the penis." Thus, having blocked all the streams, the chief of the gods did so.
Unable to see the door, which was covered on all sides, the sage moved about, burning here and there by the brilliance.
He went out, and with his penis, having attained the state of semen by that act, he did not come down from the sky, but from the middle.
Then, seeing him depart, blazing as if with brilliance, Bhava (Śiva), filled with anger, stood with his hand raised holding the trident.
The goddess stopped the angry Lord Paśupati. Because the goddess and Śaṅkara restrained him, he became their son.
The goddess said.
He is to be harmed by you; he has not become my son. For, indeed, no one who is born from the belly of a god meets with destruction.
Bhīṣma said.
Then, being pleased with the queen, he smiled and said: "Let her go as she wishes," O king, again and again.
Then Uśanā, the wise great sage, after bowing to the boon-giving god and to the goddess Umā, attained the desired state.
O best of the Bharatas, I have told you, dear one, the deeds of the great-souled Bhārgava, which you asked me about.
