defeated the best of celestials in battle.  The latter, numbering thousands upon thousands, with mangled bodies, those denizens of heaven, with Indra at their head, deprived of energy and might, all repaired to Brahman and sought his protection, afraid of the great Asura Vritra.  And the gods said, ’O best of gods, O foremost of celestials, be thou the refuge of the gods now crushed by Vritra.  Indeed, rescue us from this great fear.’  Then Brahmana, addressing Vishnu staying beside him as also those best of celestials headed by Sakra, said unto them that were all cheerless, these words fraught with truth:  Indeed, the gods with Indra at their head, and the Brahmanas also, should ever be protected by me.  The energy of Tvashtri from which Vritra hath been created is invincible.  Having in days of yore performed ascetic penances for a million of years, Tvashtri, then, ye gods, created Vritra, obtaining permission from Maheswara.  That mighty foe of yours hath succeeded in smiting you through the grace of that god of gods.  Without going to the place where Sankara stayeth, ye cannot see the divine Hara.  Having seen that god, ye will be able to vanquish Vritra.  Therefore, go ye without delay to the mountains of Mandara.  There stayeth that origin of ascetic penances, that destroyer of Daksha’s sacrifice, that wielder of Pinaka, that lord of all creatures, that slayer of the Asura called Bhaganetra.’  Thus addressed by Brahman, the gods proceeding to Mandara with Brahman in their company, beheld there that heap of energy, that Supreme god endued with the splendour of a million suns.  Seeing the gods Maheswara welcomed them and enquired what he was to do for them.  ’The sight of ray person can never be fruitless.  Let the fruition of your desires proceed from this.’  Thus addressed by him, the dwellers of heaven replied, ’We have been deprived of our energy by Vritra.  Be thou the refuge of the dwellers of heaven.  Behold, O lord, our bodies beaten and bruised by his strokes.  We seek thy protection.  Be thou our refuge, O Maheswara!’ The god of gods, called Sarva, then said, ’Ye gods, it is well-known to you how this action, fraught with great strength, terrible and incapable of being resisted by persons destitute of ascetic merit, originated, springing from the energy of Tvashtri (the divine artificer).  As regards myself, it is certainly my duty to render aid to the dwellers of heaven.  O Sakra, take this effulgent armour from off my body.  And, O chief of the celestials, put it on, mentally uttering these mantras.’

“Drona continued, ’Having said these words, the boon-giving (Siva) gave that armour with the mantras (to be uttered by the wearer).  Protected by that armour, Sakra proceeded against the host of Vritra in battle.  And although diverse kinds of weapons were hurled at him in that dreadful battle, yet the joints of that armour could not be cut open.  Then the lord of the celestials slew Vritra, and afterwards gave unto Angiras that armour, whose joints were made up of mantras.  And Angiras imparted those mantras to his son Vrihaspati, having a knowledge of all mantras.  And Vrihaspati imparted that knowledge to Agnivesya of great intelligence.  And Agnivesya imparted it to me, and it is with the aid of those mantras, O best of kings, that I, for protecting thy body, tie this armour on thy body.’