Afflicted with grief on account of the death of his
son, and himself brought under the sway of foes, the king devoted himself
thence to a life of tranquillity. One day, while wandering without a
purpose he met the sage Narada on the earth. The monarch told Narada all
that had happened, viz., the death of his son in battle and his own
capture by his enemies. Having heard his words, Narada, possessed of
wealth of penances, then recited to him the following narrative for
dispelling his grief on account of the death of his son.'
"Narada said, 'Listen now, O monarch, to the following narrative of
rather lengthy details as these had occurred. I myself heard it formerly,
O king! Endued with great energy, the Grandsire, at the time of the
creation of the universe, created a large number of living beings. These
multiplied greatly, and none of them met with death. There was no part of
the universe that was not overcrowded with living creatures, O thou of
unfading glory! Indeed, O king, the three worlds seemed to swell with
living beings, and became as it were breathless. Then, O monarch, the
thought arose in the Grandsire's mind as to how he should destroy that
overgrown population. Reflecting on the subject, the Self-born, however,
could not decide what the means should be by which the destruction of
life was to be brought about. Thereupon, O king, Brahman gave way to
wrath, and in consequence of his wrath a fire issued out of his body.
With that fire born of his wrath, the Grandsire burnt all the quarters of
the universe, O monarch.
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