Sakra said, “O Jataveda, it is thou who dost burn all other things and there is none else who can reduce thee to ashes.  All the world is afraid to come in contact with thee.  O carrier of oblations, these words of thine are worthy of no credence.”

Agni said, “Thou, O Sakra, hast encompassed the dominion of the heaven and the earth and the firmament by the might of thy own arms, but even thus how could Vritra (of old) wrest from thee the sovereignty of the celestial regions?”

Indra said, “I can reduce my foes to submission and can even reduce the size of a mountain to an atom, if I will it.  But, O Vahnni, as I do not accept the libation of Soma if offered by a foe, and as I do not strike the weak with my thunderbolt, Vritra seemed to triumph over me for a time.  But who among mortals can live in peace by creating feud with me.  I have banished the Kalakeyas to the earth, and removed the Danavas from heaven, and have terminated the existence of Prahlada in heaven.  Can there be any man who can live in peace by provoking my enmity?”

Agni said, “Dost thou, O Mahendra, remember that in olden times when the sage Chyavana officiated at the sacrifice of Saryati with the twin gods Aswins and himself appropriated the Soma offering alone, thou wert filled with wrath, and when bent upon preventing Saryati’s sacrifice, thou didst violently strike Chyavana with thy thunderbolt?  But that Brahmana, O Purandara, giving way to passion, was able by the power of his devotions to seize and hold fast by hand with thy thunder-bolt in it.  And in a rage, he again created a terrible looking enemy of thine, the Asura named Mada assuming all shapes, on beholding whom thou didst shut thine eyes with fear, whose one huge jaw was placed on earth, and the other extended to the celestial regions, and who looked terrible with his thousand sharp teeth extending over a hundred Yojanas, and had four prominent ones thick-set, and shining like a pillar of silver, and extending over two hundred Yojanas.  And when grinding his teeth he pursued thee with his terrible and uplifted pike with the object of killing thee.  Thou on beholding that terrible monster, presented a (pitiful) spectacle to all the by-standers.  Then, O slayer of Danavas, overcome with fear of the monster, with thy hands clasped in supplication, thou didst seek the protection of the great sage.  The might of Brahmanas, O Sakra, is greater than that of the Kshatriyas.  None are more powerful than Brahmanas and knowing duly, as I do, the power of Brahmanas, I do not, O Sakra, desire to come in conflict with Samvarta.”

SECTION V

“Indra said, “Even so it is; the might of Brahmanas is great and there are none more powerful than Brahmanas, but I can never bear with equanimity the insolent pride of Avikshita’s son, and so shall I smite him with my thunderbolt.  Therefore, O Dhritarashtra, do thou according to my direction repair to king Marutta attended by Samvarta, and deliver this message to him—­’Do thou, O prince, accept Vrihaspati as thy spiritual preceptor, as otherwise, I shall strike thee with my terrific thunderbolt.’”