Mahabharata — Volume II (Dutt edition) — Chapter 217

MBh 2 217.1

वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वेमां धर्मसंयुक्तां धर्मराजः कथां शुभाम्। पुनः पप्रच्छ तमृषि मार्कण्डेयमिदं तदा॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca śrutvemāṃ dharmasaṃyuktāṃ dharmarājaḥ kathāṃ śubhām| punaḥ papraccha tamṛṣi mārkaṇḍeyamidaṃ tadā||

Vaishampayana said : Having heard this excellent discourse on religion, Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira) again

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.2

युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथमग्निर्वनं यातः कथं चाप्यङ्गिराः पुरा। नष्टेऽग्नौ हव्यमवहदग्निर्भूत्वा महाद्युतिः॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kathamagnirvanaṃ yātaḥ kathaṃ cāpyaṅgirāḥ purā| naṣṭe'gnau havyamavahadagnirbhūtvā mahādyutiḥ||

Yudhishthira said: Why did in the days of yore, Agni hide himself in water and why did the greatly effulgent Angirasa convey the oblations by becoming Agni, when Agni had disappeared?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.3

अग्निर्यदा त्वेक एव बहुत्वं चास्य कर्मसु। दृश्यते भगवन् सर्वमेतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्॥

agniryadā tveka eva bahutvaṃ cāsya karmasu| dṛśyate bhagavan sarvametadicchāmi veditum||

O exalted one, there is but one fire, but it is seen, according to the nature of its actions as many. I desire to hear all this.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.4

कुमारश्च यथोत्पन्नो यथा चाग्नेः सुतोऽभवत्। यथा रुद्राच्च सम्भूतो गङ्गायां कृत्तिकासु च॥

kumāraśca yathotpanno yathā cāgneḥ suto'bhavat| yathā rudrācca sambhūto gaṅgāyāṃ kṛttikāsu ca||

How Kumara (Kartikeya) was born, how he came to be known as the son of Agni and how he was begotten by Rudra (Shiva) on Ganga and Krittika?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.5

एतदिच्छाम्यहं त्वत्तः श्रोतुं भार्गवसत्तम। कौतूहलसमाविष्टो याथातथ्यं महामुने॥

etadicchāmyahaṃ tvattaḥ śrotuṃ bhārgavasattama| kautūhalasamāviṣṭo yāthātathyaṃ mahāmune||

O best of the Bhrigu race, O great Rishi, I desire to hear all this in detail. I am filled with great curiosity.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.6

मार्कण्डेय उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। यथा क्रुद्धो हुतवहस्तपस्तप्तुं वनं गतः॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam| yathā kruddho hutavahastapastaptuṃ vanaṃ gataḥ||

Markandeya said : This is the old history cited as an instance, in which (is related) why Agni in wrath went to the forest to perform asceticismi.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.7

यथा च भगवानग्निः स्वयमेवाङ्गिराऽभवत्। संतापयंश्च प्रभया नाशयस्तिमिराणि च॥

yathā ca bhagavānagniḥ svayamevāṅgirā'bhavat| saṃtāpayaṃśca prabhayā nāśayastimirāṇi ca||

And why the exalted, Angirasa, transforming himself into Agni, destroyed all the darkness and distress (the world) by his splendour.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.8

पुराङ्गिरा महाबाहो चचार तप उत्तमम्। आश्रमस्थो महाभागो हव्यवाहं विशेषयन्। तथा स भूत्वा तु तदा जगत् सर्वं व्यकाशयत्॥

purāṅgirā mahābāho cacāra tapa uttamam| āśramastho mahābhāgo havyavāhaṃ viśeṣayan| tathā sa bhūtvā tu tadā jagat sarvaṃ vyakāśayat||

O mighty-armed hero, in the days of yore Angiras performed severe asceticism in his herinitage. That highly exalted one even excelled Agni. Becoming such he illuminated the whole universe.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.9

तपश्चरंस्तु हुतभुक् संतप्तस्तस्य तेजसा। भृशं ग्लानश्च तेजस्वी न च किंचित् प्रजज्ञिवान्॥

tapaścaraṃstu hutabhuk saṃtaptastasya tejasā| bhṛśaṃ glānaśca tejasvī na ca kiṃcit prajajñivān||

Agni was then performing asceticism and he became greatly aggrieved with that effulgence. That greatly powerful deity was greatly sorry, but he did not know what to do.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.10

अथ संचिन्तयामास भगवान् हव्यवाहनः। अन्योऽग्निरिह लोकानां ब्रह्मणा सम्प्रकल्पितः॥

atha saṃcintayāmāsa bhagavān havyavāhanaḥ| anyo'gniriha lokānāṃ brahmaṇā samprakalpitaḥ||

The exalted one thus reflected, “Another Agni was created by Brahma.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.11

अग्नित्वं विप्रणष्टं हि तप्यमानस्य मे तपः। कथमग्निः पुनरहं भवेयमिति चिन्त्य सः॥

agnitvaṃ vipraṇaṣṭaṃ hi tapyamānasya me tapaḥ| kathamagniḥ punarahaṃ bhaveyamiti cintya saḥ||

As I am practising asceticism my services as Agni have been dispensed with.” He then considered how he could again become the deity of fire.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.12

अपश्यदग्निवल्लोकांस्तापयन्तं महामुनिम्। सोपासर्पच्छनैतिस्तमुवाच तदाङ्गिराः॥

apaśyadagnivallokāṃstāpayantaṃ mahāmunim| sopāsarpacchanaitistamuvāca tadāṅgirāḥ||

Seeing the great Rishi giving heat to the entire universe, he came to him with fear; thereupon Angiras said,

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.13

शीघ्रमेव भवस्वाग्निस्त्वं पुनर्लोकभावनः। विज्ञातश्चासि लोकेषु त्रिषु संस्थानचारिषु॥

śīghrameva bhavasvāgnistvaṃ punarlokabhāvanaḥ| vijñātaścāsi lokeṣu triṣu saṃsthānacāriṣu||

"Soon become Agni, the protector of the world, you are celebrated over the three stable worlds.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.14

त्वमग्निः प्रथमं सृष्टो ब्रह्मणा तिमिरापहः। स्वस्थानं प्रतिपद्यस्व शीघ्रमेव तमोनुद॥

tvamagniḥ prathamaṃ sṛṣṭo brahmaṇā timirāpahaḥ| svasthānaṃ pratipadyasva śīghrameva tamonuda||

You Agni was first created by Brahma to dispel darkness. O destroyer of darkness, do you quickly occupy your own place."

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.15

अग्निरुवाच नष्टकीर्तिरहं लोके भवान् जातो हुताशनः। भवन्तमेव ज्ञास्यन्ति पावकं न तु मां जनाः॥

agniruvāca naṣṭakīrtirahaṃ loke bhavān jāto hutāśanaḥ| bhavantameva jñāsyanti pāvakaṃ na tu māṃ janāḥ||

Agni said : My reputation has been destroyed in this world, you have become the fire, people will know you as Agni and not me.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.16

निक्षिपाम्यहमग्नित्वं त्वमग्निः प्रथमो भव। भविष्यामि द्वितीयोऽहं प्राजापत्यक एव च॥

nikṣipāmyahamagnitvaṃ tvamagniḥ prathamo bhava| bhaviṣyāmi dvitīyo'haṃ prājāpatyaka eva ca||

I have relinquished my god-hood of fire, do you become primeval fire. I shall act as the second Prajapatya fire.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.17

अङ्गिरा उवाच कुरु पुण्यं पुरजास्वयं भवाग्निस्तिमिरापहः। मां च देव कुरुष्वाग्ने प्रथम पुत्रमञ्जसा॥

aṅgirā uvāca kuru puṇyaṃ purajāsvayaṃ bhavāgnistimirāpahaḥ| māṃ ca deva kuruṣvāgne prathama putramañjasā||

Angiras said: O deity of fire, do you become the fire-god and the destroyer of darkness. Do you attend to your sacred duty of clearing people's way to heaven. O god, make me your first child.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.18

मार्कण्डेय उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वाङ्गिरसो वाक्यं जातवेदास्तथाकरोत्। राजन् बृहस्पति भ तस्याप्यङ्गिरसः सुतः॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tacchrutvāṅgiraso vākyaṃ jātavedāstathākarot| rājan bṛhaspati bha tasyāpyaṅgirasaḥ sutaḥ||

Markandeya said : O king, having heard the words of Angiras, Agni did as desired; Angiras had a son, named Brihaspati.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.19

ज्ञात्वा प्रथमजं तं तु वढेराङ्गिरसं सुतम्। उपेत्य देवाः पप्रच्छुः कारणं तत्र भारत॥

jñātvā prathamajaṃ taṃ tu vaḍherāṅgirasaṃ sutam| upetya devāḥ papracchuḥ kāraṇaṃ tatra bhārata||

O descendant of Bharata, knowing him to be the first son of Angiras by Agni, the celestials came and enquired about the mystery.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.20

स तु पृष्टस्तदा देवैस्तत: कारणमब्रवीत्। प्रत्यगृह्णस्तु देवाश्च तद् वचोऽङ्गिरसस्तदा॥

sa tu pṛṣṭastadā devaistata: kāraṇamabravīt| pratyagṛhṇastu devāśca tad vaco'ṅgirasastadā||

Having been thus addressed by the celestials, he told them the reason; and the celestials accepted the explanation of Angiras.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 217.21

तत्र नानाविधानग्नीन् प्रवक्ष्यामि महाप्रभान्। कर्मभिर्बहुभिः ख्यातान् नानार्थान् ब्राह्मणेष्विह॥

tatra nānāvidhānagnīn pravakṣyāmi mahāprabhān| karmabhirbahubhiḥ khyātān nānārthān brāhmaṇeṣviha||

I shall (now) describe to you various sorts of fire of great effulgence which are known to the Brahmanas by their respective names.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)