and the scriptures, filled with compassion, sought to gratify
Brahman. When Sthanu came to Brahman from motives of benevolence, the
great God burning with energy, addressed him, saying, "Thou deservest
boons at my hands. What desire of thine shall I accomplish? I shall do
thee good by accomplishing whatever is in thy breast."'"'"

SECTION CCLVII

"'"'Sthanu said, "Know, O lord, that my solicitations to thee are on behalf
of the created beings of the universe. These beings have been created by
thee. Do not be angry with them, O grandsire! By the fire born of thy
energy, O illustrious one, all the created beings are being consumed.
Beholding them placed in such a plight, I am penetrated with compassion.
Do not be angry with them, O lord of the universe."

"'"'The lord of all created beings said, "I am not angry, nor is it my wish
that all the created beings should cease to exist. It is only for
lightening the burthen of the earth that destruction is desirable. The
goddess Earth, afflicted with the weight of creatures, solicited me, O
Mahadeva, for destroying them, especially as She seemed to sink under
their burthen into the water. When after exercising my intelligence for
even a long while I could not hit upon the means by which to accomplish
the destruction of this overgrown population, it was then that wrath took
possession of my breast."

"'"'Sthanu said, "Do not give way to wrath, O lord of the deities, with
respect to this matter about the destruction of living creatures. Be
gratified. Let not these mobile and immobile beings be destroyed. All
tanks, all kinds of grass and herbs, all immobile beings, and all mobile
creatures also of the four varieties, are being consumed. The whole
universe is about to be denuded of beings. Be gratified, O divine lord! O
thou of righteous heart, even this is the boon that I solicit at thy
hands. If destroyed, these creatures would not come back. Therefore, let
this energy of thine be neutralised by thy own energy. Actuated by
compassion for all created beings find some means so that, O Grandsire,
these living creatures may not burn. Oh, let not these living creatures
perish with even their descendants thus destroyed. Thou hast appointed me
as the presider over the consciousness of all living creatures, O lord of
all the lords of the universe. All this mobile and immobile universe of
life, O lord of the universe, hath sprung from thee. Pacifying thee, O
god of gods, I beg of