f
the army. Performing the obsequies of his son, king Akampana cleansed
himself.[83] Grieving, however, for his son day and night, the king
failed to regain happiness of mind. Informed of his grief on account of
the death of his son, the celestial Rishi Narada came to his presence.
The blessed king, beholding the celestial Rishi, told the latter
everything that had happened unto him, viz., his defeat at the hands of
his foes, and the slaughter of his son. And the king said, 'My son was
endued with great energy, and equalled Indra or Vishnu himself in
splendour. That mighty son of mine, having displayed his prowess on the
field against countless foes was at last slain! O illustrious one, who is
this Death? What is the measure of his energy, strength and prowess? O
foremost of intelligent persons, I desire to hear all this truly.'
Hearing these words of his, the boon giving lord, Narada, recited the
following elaborate history, destructive of grief on account of a son's
death.

"'"Narada said, 'Listen, O mighty-armed king, to this long history, exactly
as I have heard it, O monarch! In the beginning, the Grandsire Brahma
created all creatures. Endued with mighty energy, he saw that the
creation bore no signs of decay. Thereat, O king, the Creator began to
think about the destruction of the universe. Reflecting on the matter, O
monarch, the Creator failed to find any means of destruction. He then
became angry, and in consequence of his anger a fire sprang from the sky.
That fire spread in all directions for consuming everything of the
universe. Then heaven, sky, and earth, all became filled with fire. And
thus the Creator began to consume the whole mobile and immobile universe.
Thereby all creatures, mobile and immobile, were destroyed. Indeed, the
mighty Brahma, frightening everything by the force of his wrath, did all
this. Then Hara, otherwise called Sthanu or Siva, with matted locks on
his head, that Lord of all wanderers of the night, appealed to the divine
Brahma, the Lord of the gods. When Sthanu fell (at Brahma's feet) from a
desire of doing good to all creatures, the Supreme Deity to that greatest
of ascetics, blazing with splendour, said, "What wish of thine shall we
accomplish, O thou that deservest to have all thy wishes fulfilled? O
thou that hast been born of our wish! We shall do all that may be
agreeable to thee! Tell us, O Sthanu, what is thy wish?"'"'"

SECTION LI

"'"'Sthanu said, "O lord, thou ha