“Brahman said, ’Ye foremost of deities, Agni was not there at the time the curse was denounced by the goddess.  Even he will beget a son for the destruction of the enemies of the gods.  Transcending all the deities and Danavas and Rakshasas and human beings and Gandharvas and Nagas and feathery creatures, the offspring of Agni with his dart, which in his hands will be a weapon incapable of being baffled if once hurled at the foe, will destroy Taraka from whom your fear hath arisen.  Verily, all other enemies of yours will also be slain by him.  Will is eternal.  That Will is known by the name of Kama and is identical with Rudra’s seed a portion of which fell into the blazing form of Agni.  That energy, which is a mighty substance, and which resembles a second Agni, will be cast by Agni into Ganga for producing a child upon her in order to effect the destruction of the enemies of the gods.  Agni did not come within the range of Uma’s curse.  The eater of sacrificial libations was not present there when the curse was denounced.  Let the deity of fire, therefore, be searched out.  Let him now be set to this task.  Ye sinless ones, I have told you what the means are for the destruction of Taraka.  The curses of those that are endued with energy fail to produce any effect upon those that are endued with energy.  Forces, when they come into contact with something that is endued with stronger force, become weakened.  They that are endued with penances are competent to destroy even the boon-giving deities who are indestructible.  Will, or Like, or Desire (which is identifiable with Agni) sprang in former times and is the most eternal of all creatures.  Agni is the Lord of the universe.  He is incapable of being apprehended or described.  Capable of going everywhere and existing in all things, he is the Creator of all beings.  He lives in the hearts of all creatures.  Endued with great puissance, He is older than Rudra himself.  Let that eater of sacrificial libations, who is a mass of energy, be searched out.  That illustrious deity will accomplish this desire of your hearts.’  Hearing these words of the Grandsire, the high-souled gods then proceeded to search out the god of fire with hearts cheerful in consequence of their purpose having been achieved.  The gods and the Rishis then searched every part of the three worlds, their hearts filled with the thought of Agni and eagerly desiring to obtain a sight of him.  Endued with penances, possessed of prosperity, celebrated over all the worlds, those high-souled ones, all crowned with ascetic success, sojourned over every part of the universe, O foremost one of Bhrigu’s race.  They failed, however, to find out the eater of sacrificial libations who had concealed himself by merging his self into self.[384] About this time, a frog, living in water, appeared on the surface thereof from the nethermost regions, with cheerless heart in consequence of having been scorched by the energy of Agni.  The little creature addressed the deities who had