01215001a so 'bravId arjunaJM caiva vAsudevaJM ca sAtvatam 'vaizaMpAyana said, 'Then that brAhmaNa addressed arjuna and vAsudeva of the Satwata race, saying,
01215001c lokapravIrau tiSThantau khANDavasya samIpataH 'Ye who are now staying so near unto Khandava are the two foremost of heroes on earth.
01215002a brAhmaNo bahubhoktAsmi bhuJje 'parimitaM sadA I am a voracious brAhmaNa that always eateth much.
01215002c bhikSe vArSNeyapArthau vAm ekAnM tRptimM prayacchatAm O thou of the vRSNi race, and O pArtha, I solicit you to gratify me by giving me sufficient food.'
01215003a evam uktau tam abrUtAnM tatas tau kRSNapANDavau Thus addressed by the brAhmaNa, kRSNa and the son of pANDu answered him, saying,
01215003c kenAnnena bhavAMs tRpyet tasyAnnasya yatAvahe 'O, tell us what kind of food will gratify thee so that we may endeavour to give it thee.'
01215004a evam uktasH sa bhagavAn abravIt tAv ubhau tataH The illustrious brAhmaNa, thus replied to, said unto those heroes
01215004c bhASamANau tadA vIrau kim annaGM kriyatAm iti who were enquiring after the kind of food he sought,
01215005a nAham annamM bubhukSe vai pAvakamM mAnM nibodhatam 'I do not desire to eat ordinary food. Know that I am agni!
01215005c yad annam anurUpamM me tad yuvAM samMprayacchatam Give me that food which suiteth me.
01215006a idam indrasH sadA dAvaGM khANDavamM parirakSati This forest of Khandava is always protected by indra.
01215006c tanM na zaknomy ahanM dagdhuM rakSyamANamM mahAtmanA And as it is protected by the illustrious one, I always fail to consume it.
01215007a vasaty atra sakhA tasya takSakaH pannagaH sadA In that forest dwelleth, with his followers and family, a Naga, called Takshaka, who is the friend of indra.
01215007c sagaNas tatkRte dAvamM parirakSati vajrabhRt It is for him that the wielder of the thunderbolt protecteth this forest.
01215008a tatra bhUtAny anekAni rakSyante sma prasaGgataH Many other creatures also are thus protected here for the sake of Takshaka.
01215008c tanM didhakSur na zaknomi dagdhuM zakrasya tejasA Desiring to consume the forest I succeed not in my attempts in consequence of indra's prowess.
01215009a sa mAmM prajvalitanM dRSTvA meghAmbhobhiH pravarSati Beholding me blazing forth, he always poureth upon me water from the clouds.
01215009c tato dagdhunM na zaknomi didhakSur dAvam Ipsitam Therefore, I succeed not in consuming the forest of Khandava, although I desire very much to do so.
01215010a sa yuvAbhyAM sahAyAbhyAm astravidbhyAM samAgataH I have now come to you--you who are both skilled in weapons!
01215010c daheyaGM khANDavanM dAvam etad annaM vRtamM mayA If you help me I will surely consume this forest: for even this is the food that is desired by me!
01215011a yuvAM hy udakadhArAs tA bhUtAni ca samantataH
01215011c uttamAstravidau samyak sarvato vArayiSyathaH As ye are conversant with excellent weapons, I pray you to prevent those showers from descending and any of the creatures from escaping, when I begin to consume this forest!'
01215012c didhakSuGM khANDavanM dAvam akAmasya zatakratoH 'janamejaya said, 'Why did the illustrious agni desire to consume the forest of Khandava that was filled with various living creatures and protected by the chief of the celestials?
01215013a uttamAstrANi me santi divyAni ca bahUni ca
01215013c yair ahaM zaknuyAM yoddhum api vajradharAn bahUn When agni consumed in wrath the forest of Khandava, it is evident there was a grave cause. I desire, O brAhmaNa, to hear all this in detail from thee. Tell me, O sage, how the Khandava forest was consumed in days of yore.'
01215014a dhanur me nAsti bhagavan bAhuvIryeNa samMmitam
01215014c kurvatasH samare yatnaM vegaM yad viSaheta me
01215015a zaraiz ca me 'rtho bahubhir akSayaiH kSipram asyataH
01215015c na hi voDhuM rathazH zaktazH zarAn mama yathepsitAn 'vaizaMpAyana said, 'O chief of men, I will narrate to you the story of the conflagration of Khandava as told by RSis in the Purana. It hath been heard, O king, in the Purana that there was a celebrated king of the name of Swetaki who was endued with strength and prowess and who was equal unto indra himself. No one on earth has equalled him in sacrifices, charity, and intelligence. Swetaki performed the five great sacrifices and many others, at all of which the presents unto brAhmaNas were large. The heart of that monarch, O king, was always set upon sacrifices, religious rites, and gifts of all kinds. And king Swetaki of great intelligence, assisted by his Ritwiks 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 Ritwiks to come to him. But they came not to his sacrifice in consequence of the painful state of their eyes.
01215016a azvAMz ca divyAn iccheyamM pANDurAn vAtaraMhasaH
01215016c rathaJM ca meghanirghoSaM sUryapratimatejasam
