वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वेमां धर्मसंयुक्तां धर्मराजः कथां शुभाम्। पुनः पप्रच्छ तमृषि मार्कण्डेयमिदं तदा॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard this excellent discourse on religion, Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira) again
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथमग्निर्वनं यातः कथं चाप्यङ्गिराः पुरा। नष्टेऽग्नौ हव्यमवहदग्निर्भूत्वा महाद्युतिः॥
Yudhishthira said: Why did in the days of yore, Agni hide himself in water and why did the greatly effulgent Angirasa convey the oblations by becoming Agni, when Agni had disappeared?
अग्निर्यदा त्वेक एव बहुत्वं चास्य कर्मसु। दृश्यते भगवन् सर्वमेतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्॥
O exalted one, there is but one fire, but it is seen, according to the nature of its actions as many. I desire to hear all this.
कुमारश्च यथोत्पन्नो यथा चाग्नेः सुतोऽभवत्। यथा रुद्राच्च सम्भूतो गङ्गायां कृत्तिकासु च॥
How Kumara (Kartikeya) was born, how he came to be known as the son of Agni and how he was begotten by Rudra (Shiva) on Ganga and Krittika?
एतदिच्छाम्यहं त्वत्तः श्रोतुं भार्गवसत्तम। कौतूहलसमाविष्टो याथातथ्यं महामुने॥
O best of the Bhrigu race, O great Rishi, I desire to hear all this in detail. I am filled with great curiosity.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। यथा क्रुद्धो हुतवहस्तपस्तप्तुं वनं गतः॥
Markandeya said : This is the old history cited as an instance, in which (is related) why Agni in wrath went to the forest to perform asceticismi.
यथा च भगवानग्निः स्वयमेवाङ्गिराऽभवत्। संतापयंश्च प्रभया नाशयस्तिमिराणि च॥
And why the exalted, Angirasa, transforming himself into Agni, destroyed all the darkness and distress (the world) by his splendour.
पुराङ्गिरा महाबाहो चचार तप उत्तमम्। आश्रमस्थो महाभागो हव्यवाहं विशेषयन्। तथा स भूत्वा तु तदा जगत् सर्वं व्यकाशयत्॥
O mighty-armed hero, in the days of yore Angiras performed severe asceticism in his herinitage. That highly exalted one even excelled Agni. Becoming such he illuminated the whole universe.
तपश्चरंस्तु हुतभुक् संतप्तस्तस्य तेजसा। भृशं ग्लानश्च तेजस्वी न च किंचित् प्रजज्ञिवान्॥
Agni was then performing asceticism and he became greatly aggrieved with that effulgence. That greatly powerful deity was greatly sorry, but he did not know what to do.
अथ संचिन्तयामास भगवान् हव्यवाहनः। अन्योऽग्निरिह लोकानां ब्रह्मणा सम्प्रकल्पितः॥
The exalted one thus reflected, “Another Agni was created by Brahma.
अग्नित्वं विप्रणष्टं हि तप्यमानस्य मे तपः। कथमग्निः पुनरहं भवेयमिति चिन्त्य सः॥
As I am practising asceticism my services as Agni have been dispensed with.” He then considered how he could again become the deity of fire.
अपश्यदग्निवल्लोकांस्तापयन्तं महामुनिम्। सोपासर्पच्छनैतिस्तमुवाच तदाङ्गिराः॥
Seeing the great Rishi giving heat to the entire universe, he came to him with fear; thereupon Angiras said,
शीघ्रमेव भवस्वाग्निस्त्वं पुनर्लोकभावनः। विज्ञातश्चासि लोकेषु त्रिषु संस्थानचारिषु॥
"Soon become Agni, the protector of the world, you are celebrated over the three stable worlds.
त्वमग्निः प्रथमं सृष्टो ब्रह्मणा तिमिरापहः। स्वस्थानं प्रतिपद्यस्व शीघ्रमेव तमोनुद॥
You Agni was first created by Brahma to dispel darkness. O destroyer of darkness, do you quickly occupy your own place."
अग्निरुवाच नष्टकीर्तिरहं लोके भवान् जातो हुताशनः। भवन्तमेव ज्ञास्यन्ति पावकं न तु मां जनाः॥
Agni said : My reputation has been destroyed in this world, you have become the fire, people will know you as Agni and not me.
निक्षिपाम्यहमग्नित्वं त्वमग्निः प्रथमो भव। भविष्यामि द्वितीयोऽहं प्राजापत्यक एव च॥
I have relinquished my god-hood of fire, do you become primeval fire. I shall act as the second Prajapatya fire.
अङ्गिरा उवाच कुरु पुण्यं पुरजास्वयं भवाग्निस्तिमिरापहः। मां च देव कुरुष्वाग्ने प्रथम पुत्रमञ्जसा॥
Angiras said: O deity of fire, do you become the fire-god and the destroyer of darkness. Do you attend to your sacred duty of clearing people's way to heaven. O god, make me your first child.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वाङ्गिरसो वाक्यं जातवेदास्तथाकरोत्। राजन् बृहस्पति भ तस्याप्यङ्गिरसः सुतः॥
Markandeya said : O king, having heard the words of Angiras, Agni did as desired; Angiras had a son, named Brihaspati.
ज्ञात्वा प्रथमजं तं तु वढेराङ्गिरसं सुतम्। उपेत्य देवाः पप्रच्छुः कारणं तत्र भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, knowing him to be the first son of Angiras by Agni, the celestials came and enquired about the mystery.
स तु पृष्टस्तदा देवैस्तत: कारणमब्रवीत्। प्रत्यगृह्णस्तु देवाश्च तद् वचोऽङ्गिरसस्तदा॥
Having been thus addressed by the celestials, he told them the reason; and the celestials accepted the explanation of Angiras.
तत्र नानाविधानग्नीन् प्रवक्ष्यामि महाप्रभान्। कर्मभिर्बहुभिः ख्यातान् नानार्थान् ब्राह्मणेष्विह॥
I shall (now) describe to you various sorts of fire of great effulgence which are known to the Brahmanas by their respective names.