Having
heard the history of the installation of Kumara and the destruction of
the Daityas, great hath been my joy. I feel a curiosity, however, in
respect of another matter. How was the Lord of the waters installed by
the celestials in that tirtha in days of yore? O best of men, tell me
that, for thou art possessed of great wisdom and art skilled in
narration!"
Vaishampayana said, "Listen, O king, to this wonderful history of what
transpired truly in a former Kalpa! In days of yore, in the Krita age, O
king, all celestials, duly approaching Varuna, said unto him these words,
'As Shakra, the Lord of the celestials, always protects us from every
fear, similarly be thou the Lord of all the rivers! Thou always residest,
O god, in the Ocean, that home of makaras! This Ocean, the lord of
rivers, will then be under thy dominion! Thou shalt then wax and wane
with Soma!' (Thus addressed) Varuna answered them, saying, 'Let it be
so!' All the celestials then, assembling together, made Varuna having his
abode in the ocean the Lord of all the waters, according to the rites
laid down in the scriptures. Having installed Varuna as the Lord of all
aquatic creatures and worshipping him duly, the celestials returned to
their respective abodes. Installed by the celestials, the illustrious
Varuna began to duly protect seas and lakes and rivers and other
reservoirs of water as Shakra protects the gods. Bathing in that tirtha
also and giving away diverse kinds of gifts, Baladeva, the slayer of
Pralamva, possessed of great wisdom, then proceeded to Agnitirtha, that
spot where the eater of clarified butter, disappearing from the view,
became concealed within the entrails of the Sami wood.
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