Shvetaki and Agni

There was a celebrated king of the name of Shvetaki who was endued with strength and prowess, equal unto Indra himself. No one on earth has equaled him in sacrifices, charity, and intelligence. Shvetaki performed the five great sacrifices and many others, at all of which the presents unto Brahmanas were large. The heart of that monarch was always set upon sacrifices, religious rites, and gifts of all kinds. Shvetaki, assisted by his Ritviks, performed sacrifices for many long years, till those sacrificial priests with eyes afflicted by the continued smoke and becoming very weak, left that monarch, wishing never more to assist at his sacrifices. The king, however, repeatedly asked those Ritviks to come to him. But they came not to his sacrifice in consequence of the painful state of their eyes. The king, therefore, invited at the command of his own Ritviks, others like unto them, and completed the sacrifice that he had begun.

After some days had elapsed, king Shvetaki desired to perform another sacrifice which should extend for a hundred years. But the illustrious monarch obtained not any priest to assist him in it. The celebrated king then, with his friends and relatives, casting off all sloth, repeatedly courted his priests with great persistence, by bowing down unto them, by conciliatory speeches, and by gifts of wealth. All of them, however, refused to accomplish the purpose which that king had in view. Then that king, getting angry, addressed those Brahmanas sitting in their Ashrams, and said, “If I were a fallen person, or, if, I were wanting in homage and service to you, I should then deserve to be abandoned without scruple by you and by other Brahmanas at the same time. But as I am neither degraded nor wanting in homage to you, it behoves you not to obstruct the performance by me of my sacrifice or to abandon me thus, without adequate reason. I seek your protection! It behoves you to be propitious unto me. But, if you abandon me from enmity alone or any improper motive, I shall go unto other priests for their assistance in this sacrifice of mine, and conciliating them by sweet words and gifts, I shall represent unto them the business I have on hand, so that they may accomplish it.”

Having said this, the king became silent. When those priests well knew that they could not assist at the king's sacrifice, they pretended to be angry, and addressing him said, “O best of kings! Your sacrifices are incessant! By assisting you always, we have all been fatigued. As we have been wearied in consequence of these labours, it behoves you to give us leave. From loss of judgment, you can not wait. Go unto Rudra! He will assist at your sacrifice!”

Hearing those words of censure and wrath, king Shvetaki became angry. The monarch wending to the mountains of Kailasa, devoted himself to asceticism there. The monarch began to worship Mahadeva, with fixed attention, and by observing the most rigid vows. Foregoing all food at times, he passed a long period. The monarch ate only fruits and roots sometimes at the twelfth and sometimes at the sixteenth hour of the whole day. King Shvetaki stood for six months, rapt in attention, with arms upraised and steadfast eyes, like the trunk of a tree or a column rooted to the ground. Shiva at last gratified with that king, who was undergoing such hard penances, showed himself unto him. And the god spoke unto the king in a calm and grave voice, saying, “O tiger among kings! I have been gratified with you for your asceticism! Blessed be you! Ask now the boon that you desire.”

Hearing these words of Rudra of immeasurable energy, the king bowed unto that deity and replied, saying, “O illustrious one! If you have been gratified with me, then, assist me yourself in my sacrifice!” Hearing these words spoken by the monarch, the illustrious god was gratified, and smilingly said, “We do not ourselves assist at sacrifices: but as you have undergone severe penances, desirous of obtaining a boon, I will assist at your sacrifice, upon this condition.” And Rudra continued, 'If, you can, for twelve years, pour without intermission libations of clarified butter into the fire, yourself leading all the while the life of a Brahmacharin with rapt attention, then you shall obtain from me what you ask.” King Shvetaki, thus addressed by Rudra, did all that he was directed to do by the wielder of the trident.

After twelve years had elapsed, he again came unto Shiva. Upon seeing Shvetaki, Shiva immediately said, in great gratification, “I have been gratified by you, O best of kings! with this your own act! But, the duty of assisting at sacrifices properly belongs to Brahmanas. Therefore, I will not myself assist at your sacrifice today. There is on earth an exalted Brahmana who is even a portion of my own self. He is known by the name of Durvasa. That Brahmana endued with great energy will assist you in your sacrifice. Let, therefore, every preparation be made.”

Hearing these words uttered by Rudra, the king, returning to his own capital, began to collect all that was necessary. After everything had been collected, the monarch again presented himself before Rudra and said, “Every necessary article has been collected, and all my preparations are complete, through your grace, O god of gods! Let me, therefore, be installed at the sacrifice tomorrow.”

Having heard these words of that illustrious king, Rudra summoned Durvasa before him and said. “This, O Durvasa! is that best of monarchs called Shvetaki. At my command, assist this king in his sacrifice.” The Rishi Durvasa said unto Rudra, “So be it.” Then the sacrifice for which king Shvetaki had made those preparations, took place. The illustrious monarch's sacrifice was performed according to the ordinance and in proper season. The gifts, on that occasion, unto the Brahmanas were large. After that monarch's sacrifice had come to an end, all the other priests who had come to assist at it went away with Durvasa's leave. All other Sadasyas also of immeasurable energy, who had been installed at that sacrifice, then went away. That exalted monarch then entered his own palace, worshipped by exalted Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas, eulogized by chanters of panegyrical hymns and congratulated by the citizens.

Such was the history of that best of monarchs, the royal sage Shvetaki, who, when the time came, ascended to heaven, having won great renown on earth, and accompanied by the Ritwiks and the Sadasyas that had helped him in life.

At that sacrifice of Shvetaki, Agni had drunk clarified butter for twelve years. Indeed, clarified butter had been poured into Agni's mouth in a continuous stream for that period. Having drunk so much butter, Agni, satiated, desired not to drink butter again from the hand of anybody else at any other sacrifice. Agni became pale, having lost his colour, and he could not shine as before. He felt a loss of appetite from surfeit, and his energy itself decreased and sickness afflicted him. Then when the drinker of sacrificial libations perceived that his energy was gradually diminishing, he went to the sacred abode of Brahma that is worshipped by all. Approaching the great Deity seated on his seat, Agni said, “O exalted one! Shvetaki has gratified me to excess. Even now I am suffering from surfeit which I cannot dispel. I am being reduced both in splendour and strength. I desire to regain, through your grace, my own permanent nature.”

Hearing these words from Agni, the Creator of all things smilingly replied unto him, saying, “O exalted one! You have eaten, for twelve years, a continuous stream of sacrificial butter poured into your mouth! It is for this that illness has seized you. But, grieve not for it. You shall soon regain your own nature. I shall dispel this surfeit of yours and the time for it is even come. The dreadful forest Khandava, that abode of the enemies of the gods, which you had of old once consumed to ashes at the request of the gods, has now become the home of numerous creatures. When you will have eaten the fat of those creatures, you shall regain your own nature. Proceed there in haste to consume that forest with its living population. You will then be cured of your malady.”

Hearing the words that fell from the lips of the Supreme Deity, Agni proceeded with great speed and soon reached the forest of Khandava in great vigour. Arrived there, he suddenly blazed forth in anger, assisted by Vayu. Beholding Khandava on fire the dwellers that were there, made great efforts to extinguish the conflagration. Elephants by hundreds of thousands, speeding in anger, brought water in their trunks and scattered it upon the fire. Thousands of many-hooded snakes, mad with anger, hastily began to scatter upon fire much water from those many hoods of theirs. So, the other creatures dwelling in that forest, by various appliances and efforts, soon extinguished the fire. In this way, Agni blazed forth in Khandava repeatedly, even for seven times. It was in this way that the blazing fire was extinguished there as often by the denizens of that forest.

Then Agni in anger and disappointment, with his ailment uncured, went back to the Grandsire. He represented unto Brahma all that had happened. The illustrious deity, reflecting for a moment, said unto him, “O sinless one! I see a way by which you may consume the forest of Khandava today in the very sight of Indra. Those old deities, Nara and Narayana, have become incarnate in the world of men to accomplish the business of the celestials. They are called on earth Arjuna and Krishna. They are even now staying in the forest of Khandava. Solicit them for aiding you in consuming that forest. You shall then consume the forest even if it be protected by the celestials. They will certainly prevent the population of Khandava from escaping, and thwart Indra also. I have no doubt of this!”

Hearing these words, Agni came in haste unto Krishna and Arjuna.