Do thou, therefore, O puissant deity, rescue us all.’  Thus addressed, the illustrious and irresistible bearer of sacrificial libations answered, saying, ‘Be it so’, and he than proceeded towards Ganga otherwise called Bhagirathi.  He united himself in (spiritual) congress with her and caused her to conceive.  Verily, in the womb of Ganga the seed of Agni began to grow even as Agni himself grows (when supplied with fuel and aided by the wind).  With the energy of that god, Ganga became exceedingly agitated at heart.  Indeed, she suffered great distress and became unable to bear it.  When the deity of blazing flames cast his seed endued with great energy into the womb of Ganga, a certain Asura (bent on purposes of his own) uttered a frightful roar.  In consequence of that frightful roar uttered by the Asura for purposes of his own (and not for terrifying her), Ganga became very much terrified and her eyes rolled in fear and betrayed her agitation.  Deprived of consciousness, she became unable to bear her body and the seed within her womb.  The daughter of Jahnu, inseminated with the energy of the illustrious deity, began to tremble.  Overwhelmed with the energy of the seed she held in her womb, O learned Brahmana, she then addressed the deity of blazing fire, saying, ’I am no longer capable, O illustrious one, of bearing thy seed in my womb.  Verily, I am overcome with weakness by this seed of thine.  The health I had in days before is no longer mine.  I have been exceedingly agitated, O illustrious one, and my heart is dead within me, O sinless one.  O foremost of all persons endued with penances, I am in capable of bearing thy seed any longer.  I shall cast it off, compelled by the distress that has overtaken me, and not by caprice.  There has been no actual contact of my person with thy seed, O illustrious deity of blazing flames!  Our union, having for its cause the distress that has overtaken the deities, has been suitable and not of the flesh, O thou of great splendour.  Whatever merit or otherwise there may be in this act (intended to be done by me), O eater of sacrificial libations, must belong to thee.  Verily, I think, the righteousness or unrighteousness of this deed must be thine.’  Unto her the deity of fire said, ’Do thou bear the seed.  Do, indeed, bear the foetus endued with my energy.  It will lead to great results.  Thou art, verily, capable of bearing the entire earth.  Thou wilt gain nothing by not holding this energy.’  That foremost of streams, though thus passed by the deity of fire as also by all the other deities, cast off the seed on the breast of Meru, that foremost of all mountains.  Capable (somehow) of bearing that seed, yet oppressed by the energy of Rudra (for Agni is identical with Rudra), she failed to hold that seed longer in consequence of its burning energy.  After she had cast it off, through sheer distress, that blazing seed having the splendour of fire, O perpetuator of Bhrigu’s race, Agni saw her, and asked that foremost of streams, ’Is it all right with the foetus thou hast cast off?  Of what complexion has it been, O goddess?  Of what form does it look?  With what energy does it seem to be endued?  Do thou tell me all about it.’