n being besides thee! This Sthanu has
plunged into the water! Go and create living creatures, without any
anxiety!"

"'That being then created many living creatures, having Daksha for their
first, who created all these creatures of four kinds. As soon, however,
as they were created, they ran O king, towards their sire, afflicted with
hunger and desirous of devouring him. The second being whom Brahma had
created, thereupon ran towards him, desirous of protection from his own
offspring. And he said unto the Grandsire, "O illustrious one, protect me
from these, and let these creatures have their food assigned unto them!"
Then the Grandsire assigned herbs and plants and other vegetables as
their food, and unto those that were strong he assigned the weaker
creatures as the means of sustenance. Their sustenance having been thus
assigned, the newly-created creatures all went away to regions they
desired, and cheerfully multiplied by union with their respective species.

"'After the creatures had multiplied and the Grandsire had become well
pleased, the first-born rose from the water and beheld the living
creation. He saw that diverse kinds of creatures had been created and
that they had multiplied by their own energy. At this sight, Rudra became
angry and caused his procreative limb to disappear in the bowels of the
Earth. The unfading Brahma, soothing him by soft words, said unto him, "O
Sharva, what wert thou doing so long within the water? For what reason,
also hast thou caused thy limb of generation to disappear in the bowels
of the Earth?" Thus questioned, that lord of the universe wrathfully
answered the lord Brahman, "Somebody else has created all these
creatures! What purpose then would be served by this limb of mine? I have
by my austerities, O Grandsire, created food for all these creatures.
These herbs and plants also will multiply like those that will subsist
upon them!" Having said these words, Bhava went away, in cheerlessness
and rage, to the foot of the Menjavat mountains for practising severer
austerities.'"

18

"The holy one said, 'After the krita-yuga had elapsed, the gods, desirous
of performing a sacrifice, duly made preparation for one according to the
directions laid down in the Vedas. They collected clarified butter and
the other requisites. And they not only devised what the requisites of
their sacrifice should be, but also determined those amongst themselves
that should have a share in the sa