me
other place. But his place of concealment was divulged by the finny
tribe. Upon them the fire pronounced this curse in anger, 'You shall be
the food of all creatures in various ways.' And then that carrier of
oblations spoke unto Atharvan (as before). Though entreated by the gods,
he did not agree to continue carrying their oblations. He then became
insensible and instantly gave up the ghost. And leaving his material
body, he entered into the bowels of the earth. Coming into contact with
the earth, he created the different metals. Force and scent arose from
his pus; the Deodar pine from his bones; glass from his phlegm; the
Marakata jewel from his bile; and the black iron from his liver. And all
the world has been embellished with these three substances (wood, stone
and iron). The clouds were made from his nails, and corals from his
veins. And, O king, various other metals were produced from his body.
Thus leaving his material body, he remained absorbed in (spiritual)
meditation. He was roused by the penance of Bhrigu and Angiras. The
powerful fire thus gratified with penance, blazed forth intensely. But on
beholding the Rishi (Atharvan), he again sought his watery refuse. At
this extinction of the fire, the whole world was frightened, and sought
the protection of Atharvan, and the gods and others began to worship him.
Atharvan rummaged the whole sea in the presence of all those beings eager
with expectation, and finding out the fire, himself began the work of
creation. Thus in olden times the fire was destroyed and called back to
life by the adorable Atharvan. But now he invariably carries the
oblations of all creatures. Living in the sea and travelling about
various countries, he produced the various fires mentioned in the Vedas.

The river Indus, the five rivers (of the Punjab), the Sone, the Devika,
the Saraswati, the Ganga, the Satakumbha, the Sarayu, the Gandaki, the
Charmanwati, the Mahi, the Medha, the Medhatithi, the three rivers
Tamravati, the Vetravati, and the Kausiki; the Tamasa, the Narmada, the
Godavari, the Vena, the Upavena, the Bhima, the Vadawa, the Bharati, the
Suprayoga, the Kaveri, the Murmura, the Tungavenna, the Krishnavenna and
the Kapila, these rivers, O Bharata, are said to be the mothers of the
fires! The fire called Adbhuta had a wife of the name of Priya, and Vibhu
was the eldest of his sons by her. There are as many different kinds of
Soma sacrifices as the number of fires mentioned befo