Yudhisthira said These kings who lie on the Earth's surface amid their respective armies, these princes of great power, are now all deprived of life.

Every one of these powerful kings was endued with strength equal to that of ten thousand elephants. Alas! these have all have killed by men equally powerful and strong.

I do not see any one else that could kill any of these men in battle. All of them were gifted with great prowess, great energy, and great strength.

Highly wise, they are now lying dead on the naked earth. about them, however, that are deprived of life, the word that is used is that they are dead.

All these highly powerful kings are said to be dead. On this subject a doubt lies in my mind. Whence is life and whence is death.

Who is it that dies? whence is death? Whence is death? Why does death take away living creatures. O grandfather, tell me this, O you who are like a god.

Bhishma said In days of yore, in the Krita age, O son, there was a king of the name of Anukampaka. His cars, elephants, horse and men having been reduced in number, he succumbed to the power of his enemies in battle.

His son, named Hari, who was like Narayana himself in strength, was in that battle killed by his enemies along with all his followers and troops.

Stricken with grief consequent on the death of his son, and himself brought under the control of enemies, the king devoted himself thence to a life of peacefulness. One day, while wandering listlessly he met the sage Narada on the Earth.

The king told Narada all that had taken place, viz., the death of his son in battle and his own capture by his enemies.

Having heard him Narada, endued with wealth of penances, then recited to him the following narrative for removing his grief consequent on the death of his son.

Narada said Listen now, O king, to the following long narrative which had taken place. I myself heard it formerly, O king!

Endued with great energy, the Grandfather, at the time of the creation of the universe, created a large number of living beings. These multiplied greatly, and none of them died.

There was not a part of the universe which was not overcrowded with living creatures, O you of great glory! Indeed, O king, the three worlds appeared to swell with living beings, and became, as it were, breathless.

Then, O king, the Grandfather thought as to how he should destroy the surplus population. Thinking of the matter, the Self-create, however, could not decide by what means the destruction of life was to be performed.

Thereupon, O king, Brahman gave way to anger and in consequence of his anger a fire issued out of his body. With that fire born of his anger, the Grandfather burnt all the quarters of the universe, O king.

Indeed, that fire begotten of the Divine Lord's anger, O king, burnt Heaven and Earth and the Sky and the whole Universe with all its mobile and immobile beings.

Truly, when the Grandfather thus became angry, all mobile and immobile beings began to be consumed by the irresistible power of that anger.

Then the divine and sacred Sthanu, that destroyer of hostile heroes, that lord of the Vedas and the scriptures, filled with pity, tried to please Brahma.

When Sthanu came to Brahma out of feelings of benevolence, the great God addressed him, saying,-you deserved boons at my hands! What desire of yours shall I fulfil? I shall do you good by doing whatever you wish.