orned with diverse kinds of jewels and gems, and upon
whose surface the stars seemed to rest like so many lotuses on a lake. On
that prince of mountains, O sire, overgrown with forests of flowering
trees, that foremost of the gods, viz., Brahman, stayed for some time for
accomplishing the business of the world. After the lapse of a thousand
years, the puissant lord made arrangements for a grand sacrifice
according to the ordinances laid down in the scriptures. The sacrificial
altar became adorned with Rishis skilled in sacrifice and competent to
perform all acts appertaining thereto, with faggots of sacrificial fuel,
and with blazing fires. And it looked exceedingly beautiful in
consequence of the sacrificial plates and vessels all made of gold. All
the foremost ones among the gods took their seats on it. The platform was
further adorned with Sadasyas all of whom were high regenerate Rishis. I
have heard from the Rishis that soon something very awful occurred in
that sacrifice. It is heard that a creature sprang (from the sacrificial
fire) scattering the flames around him, and whose splendour equalled that
of the Moon himself when he rises in the firmament spangled with stars.
His complexion was dark like that of the petals of the blue lotus. His
teeth were keen. His stomach was lean. His stature was tall. He seemed to
be irresistible and possessed of exceeding energy. Upon the appearance of
that being, the earth trembled. The Ocean became agitated with high
billows and awful eddies. Meteors foreboding great disasters shot through
the sky. The branches of trees began to fall down. All the points of the
compass became unquiet. Inauspicious winds began to blow. All creatures
began to quake with fear every moment. Beholding that awful agitation of
the universe and that Being sprung from the sacrificial fire, the
Grandsire said these words unto the great Rishis, the gods, and the
Gandharvas. 'This Being was thought of by me. Possessed of great energy,
his name is Asi (sword or scimitar). For the protection of the world and
the destruction of the enemies of the gods, I have created him.' That
being then, abandoning the form he had first assumed, took the shape of a
sword of great splendour, highly polished, sharp-edged, risen like the
all-destructive Being at the end of the Yuga. Then Brahman made over that
sharp weapon to the blue-throated Rudra who has for the device on his
banner the foremost of bulls, for enabling him to pu