and Asuras fighting on the Sunrise hill.
And he saw that the morning twilight was tinged with
red clouds. And he also saw that the abode of
Varuna had become blood-red. And he also observed
Agni conveying oblations offered with various hymns
by Bhrigu, Angiras, and others and entering the disc
of the Sun. And he further saw the twenty four
Parvas adorning the Sun, and the terrible Soma
also present in the Sun under such surroundings.
And observing this union of the Sun and the Moon and
that fearful conjunction of theirs, Sakra thought within
himself, “This terrific conjunction of the Sun
and the Moon forebodeth a fearful battle on the morrow.
And the river Sindhu (Indus) too is flowing with a
current of fresh blood and the jackals with fiery laces
are crying to the Sun. This great conjunction
is fearful and full of energy. This union of
the Moon (Soma) with the Sun and Agni is very wonderful.
And if Soma giveth birth to a son now, that son may
become the husband of this lady. And Agni also
hath similar surroundings now, and he too is a god.
If the two begetteth a son, that son may become the
husband of this lady.” With these thoughts
that illustrious celestial repaired to the regions
of Brahma, taking Devasena[33] with him. And
saluting the Grandsire he said unto him, “Do
thou fix a renowned warrior as husband of this lady.”
Brahma replied, “O slayer of Asuras, it
shall be as thou hast intended. The issue of that
union will be mighty and powerful accordingly.
That powerful being will be the husband of this lady
and the joint leader of thy forces with thee.”
Thus addressed, the lord of the celestials and the
lady bowed unto him and then repaired to the place
where those great Brahmanas, the powerful celestial
Rishis, Vasistha and others, lived. And
with Indra at their head, the other gods also, desirous
of drinking the Soma beverage, repaired to the sacrifices
of those Rishis to receive their respective
shares of the offerings. Having duly performed
the ceremonies with the bright blazing fire, those
great-minded persons offered oblations to the celestials.
And the Adbhuta fire, that carrier of oblations,
was invited with mantras. And coming out
of the solar disc, that lordly fire duly repaired
thither, restraining speech. And, O chief of Bharata’s
race, that fire entering the sacrificial fire that
had been ignited and into which various offerings
were made by the Rishis with recitations of
hymns, took them with him and made them over to the
dwellers of heaven. And while returning from
that place, he observed the wives of those high-souled
Rishis sleeping at their ease on their beds.
And those ladies had a complexion beautiful like that
of an altar of gold, spotless like moon-beams, resembling
fiery flames and looking like blazing stars.
And seeing those wives of the illustrious Brahmanas
with eager eyes, his mind became agitated and he was
smitten with their charms. Restraining his heart