Mandapala said : I spoke to Agni about your safety, the illustrious deity also promised me that he would do what I wished.

On account of those words of Agni and also knowing the virtuous character of your mother and the great effulgence that are in you, I did not come here earlier.

O sons, therefore do not allow anger to enter your hearts. You are all Rishis, learned in the Vedas. Agni knows you full well.

Vaishampayana said : Having thus assuring his sons, the Brahmana Mandapala took with hirn his wife and children; and leaving that region, he went away to some other country.

Having grown in strength, the illustrious deity of fearful rays also consumed the Khandava with the assistance of the two Krishna's for the good of the world.

Having drunk many rivers of fat and marrow, Agni became highly gratified and he then appeared before Arjuna.

Then Purandara (Indra), surrounded by the Marutas, came down from the sky and thus spoke to Partha and Keshava.

“You have achieved a feat that even a celestial can never do. Ask each of you a boon that is not obtainable by man. I am very much pleased with you”.

Partha asked Indra to bestow upon him all his weapons. Thereupon the greatly effulgent Shakra (Indra) fixed the time to bestow them (on Arjuna). He then said,

"O son of Pandu, when the illustrious Mahadeva (Shiva) will be pleased with you, I shall then give you all my weapons.

O Kuru prince, O Dhananjaya I shall know when that time will come. I will bestow upon you for your severe asceticism all my fire and wind-weapons, you will accept them all from me."

Vasudeva (Krishna) asked that his friendship with Arjuna might last forever. The chief of the celestial (Indra) granted to the intelligent Krishna the boon he asked.

Having granted these boons to those (heroes) and having spoken to Agni, the lord of the Marutas, accompanied by the celestial, went away to heaven.

Agni also, having burnt that forest with all its creatures, animals and birds (continually) for fifteen days, became gratified; and he then extinguished himself.

Having eaten flesh in plentiful quantities and drank fat and blood (to his heart's content), he became highly gratified; he then thus spoke to Arjuna and Achyuta (Krishna), “I have been gratified by you two best of men. O heroes, you shall be able to go at my command wherever you like."

Having been thus addressed by the illustrious Agni, Arjuna and Vasudeva (Krishna) and the Danava Maya also then roamed there for sometime. They then all sat down on the charming banks of a river.