Yudhishthira said When the great king Vasu was so wholly devoted to Narayana, why then did he drop down from heaven and why again had he to sink beneath the surface of Earth?

Regarding it is cited an old discourse, O Bharata, between the Rishis and the gods.

Once on a time, addressing many foremost of Brahmanas the gods said to them that sacrifices should be performed by offering up Ajas as victims. The word Aja means the goat and no other animal.

The Rishis said The Veda declares that in sacrifices the offerings should consist of seeds. Seeds are called Ajas. You should not kill goats.

O gods, that cannot be the religion of good and pious people in which the destruction of animals is sanctioned. This, again, is the golden age. How can animals be killed in this epoch of righteousness?

Bhishma said While this conversation was going on between the Rishis and the gods, that foremost of kings, viz., Vasu, was seen to come that way. Gifted with great prosperity, the king was coming through the sky, accompanied by his troops and vehicles and animals.

Seeing king Vasu coming there through the skies, the Brahmanas addressing the gods, said,-This one will dispell our doubts.

He celebrates sacrifices. He is liberal in making gifts. He always seeks the well being of all creatures. How, indeed, will the great Vasu speak otherwise.

Having thus spoken each other, the gods and the Rishis quickly approached king Vasu and asked him, saying,-0 king, with what should one celebrate sacrifices?

Should one sacrifice with the goat or with herbs and plants? Do you remove this doubt of ours! We select you as our judge in this matter.

Thus accosted by them, Vasu joined his hands in humility and said to them,-Tell me truly, ye foremost of Brahmanas, what opinion is held by you individually in this matter?

The Rishis said The opinion held by us, O king, is that sacrifices should be celebrated with grain! The gods, however, hold that sacrifices should be celebrated with animals. Do you judge between us and tell us which of these opinions is correct.

Bhishma said Learning the opinion of the gods, Vasu, moved by partiality for them, said that sacrifices should be celebrated with animals.

At this answer, all the Rishis, effulgent like the Sun, became very angry. Addressing Vasu who was seated on his car and who had supported the deities, they said to him,-Since you have unfairly sided with the gods, do you fall down from heaven! From this day, O king, you shall lose the power of passing through the sky! Through our curse, you shall sink deep below the surface of the Earth.

After the Rishis had said these words, king Uparichara immediately dropped down, O king, and went down a hole in the Earth. At the command, however,. of Narayana, Vasu's memory did not leave him.

To the good fortune of Vasu, the gods, pained at the curse imprecated on him by the Brahmanas, began to think anxiously as to how that curse might be removed.

They said, This great king has been cursed for our sake. We, dwellers of heaven, should unite together for doing what is good to him in return for what he has done to us.

Having speedily determined this in their minds with the help of reflection, the gods went where king Uparichara was. Arrived before him, they addressed his, saying,-You are devoted to the great God of the Brahmanas (viz., Narayana)! That great Lord of both the gods and the Asuras, pleased with you, will save you from the curse that has been imprecated upon you.

It is proper, however, that the great Brahmanas should be honoured. Verily, O best of kings, their penances should bear fruits.

Indeed, you have already fallen down from the sky on the Earth! We wish, however, O best of kings, to show you a favour. As long as you, O sinless one, will live in this hole, so long you will receive (due sustenance).

You will get those streaks of clarified butter which Brahmanas with concentrated minds pour in sacrifices along with sacred Mantras, and which are called by the name of Vasudhara! Indeed, weakness or distress shall hot affect you.

While living, O king of kings, in the hole of the Earth, neither hunger nor thirst shall assail you for you will drink those streaks of clarified butter called Vasudhara. Your energy also shall continue unabated. By virtue of this our boon that we grant you, the God of gods, viz., Narayana, will be pleased with you, and He will take you hence to the region of Brahman.

Having granted these boons to the king, the dwellers of heaven, as also all those Rishis having penances for wealth, returned each to his respective place.

Then Vasu, O Bharata, began to worship the Creator of the universe and to recite silently those sacred Mantras that had come out of Narayana's mouth in days of yore.

Although living in a pit of the Earth, the king still adored Hari, the Lord of all the gods in the well-known five-sacrifices that are celebrating five times every day, O destroyer of enemies.

On account of these adorations of his, Narayana, otherwise called Hari, became highly gratified with him who thus showed himself to be entirely devoted to Him. Who entirely depended upon Him as his sole refuge, and who had completely mastered his senses.

The illustrious Vishnu, that giver of boons, then addressed the fleet Garuda, that foremost of birds, who waited upon Him as his servant, and said these desirable words.

O foremost of birds, O you who are highly blessed, listen to what I say. There is a great king named Vasu who is of righteous soul and rigid vows! Through the anger of the Brahmanas, he has dropped into a pit of the Earth.

The Brahmanas have been sufficiently honoured. Do you go to that king now.

At my behest, O Garuda, go to that foremost of kings, viz., Uparichara, who is now living in a hole of the Earth and incapable of any longer passing through the sky, and bring him up forthwith into the sky.

Hearing these words of Vishnu, Garuda, spreading his wings and going with the speed of the wind, entered that pit in the Earth in which king Vasu was residing.

All on a sudden taking the king up, the son of Vinata soared into the sky and there released the king from his beaks.

At that moment, king Uparichara once more acquired his divine form and re-entered the region of Brahman.

It was the way, O son of Kunti, that that great king first dropped down through the curse of the Brahmanas for a faulty speech, and once more got up to heaven at the behest of the great God (Vishnu).

Only the powerful Lord Hari, that foremost of all Beings, was devoutly adored by him. It was for this devout worship that the king succeeded very soon in freeing himself from the curse imprecated upon him by the Brahmanas and in regaining the blessed regions of Brahman.

Bhishma said I have thus told you everything regarding the origin of the spiritual sons of Brahman. Listen to me with rapt attention, for I shall now describe to you how the celestial Rishi Narada had proceeded in days of yore to White Island."