cious of the great deficiency (instability) of all matter.
Such a person keeping in view the final doom (of all), never grieves, I
too, O learned man, do not grieve; I stay here (in this life) biding my
time. For this reason, O best of men, I am not perplexed (with doubts)'.
The Brahmana said, 'Thou art wise and high in spiritual knowledge and
vast is thy intelligence. Thou who art versed in holy writ, art content
with thy spiritual wisdom. I have no cause to find fault with thee.
Adieu, O best of pious men, mayst thou be prosperous, and may
righteousness shield thee, and mayst thou be assiduous in the practice of
virtue.'

"Markandeya continued, The fowler said to him, 'Be it so'. And the good
Brahmana walked round him[58] and then departed. And the Brahmana
returning home was duly assiduous in his attention to his old parents. I
have thus, O pious Yudhishthira, narrated in detail to thee this history
full of moral instruction, which thou, my good son, didst ask me to
recite,--the virtue of women's devotion to their husbands and that of
filial piety.' Yudhishthira replied, 'O most pious Brahmana and best of
munis, thou hast related to me this good and wonderful moral story; and
listening to thee, O learned man, my time has glided away like a moment;
but, O adorable sir, I am not as yet satiated with hearing this moral[59]
discourse.'"

SECTION CCXVI

Vaisampayana continued, "The virtuous king Yudhishthira, having listened
to this excellent religious discourse, again addressed himself to the
rishi Markandeya saying, 'Why did the fire-god hide himself in water in
olden times, and why is it that Angiras of great splendour officiating as
fire-god, used to convey[60] oblations during his dissolution. There is
but one fire, but according to the nature of its action, it is seen to
divide itself into many. O worshipful sir, I long to be enlightened on
all these points,--How the Kumara[61] was born, how he came to be known
as the son of Agni (the fire-god) and how he was begotten by Rudra or
Ganga and Krittika. O noble scion of Bhrigu's race, I desire to learn all
this accurately as it happened. O great muni, I am filled with great
curiosity.' Markandeya replied, 'In this connection this old story is
cited by the learned, as to how the carrier of oblations (the fire-god)
in a fit of rage, sought the waters of the sea in order to perform a
penance, and how the adorable Angiras transforming himself into the
fire-god,[62] d