Sthanu said O Lord, you did take great pains for creating various creatures. All these different sorts of beings have been created and reared by you.

Those very creatures are now being burnt down by the fire of your anger. Seeing their condition, I am filled with compassion; O Lord, O illustrious One, be merciful on them.

Brahma said I had no desire for destroying the worlds. I wanted to leave them in peace; I always desired the earth's welfare. But then anger took possession of me.

The goddess of earth, over-burdened with the heavy weight of creatures, always solicited me for destroying the beings on her surface, O mighty God.

Then though thinking in many ways, I could not find out the means for destroying the infinite creation. At this, anger entered into me.

Rudra said Be propitiated, O ruler of the universe and do not cherish wrath for the destruction of creatures. Do you not any longer destroy the mobile and immobile creatures.

Through your grace, O almighty Lord, the universe is divided in three divisions, viz., the Past, the Present and the Future. Let it remain as it is;

You have, O lord, blazed up in anger from anger this fire has proceeded and that fire now consumes rocks, trees and rivers.

And all kinds of shrubs and grass. Verily that fire is blasting the mobile and immobile universe. Behold the mobile and immobile universe reduced to ashes. Be propitiated, O almighty God! give not way to wrath. Even this boon do I beg.

All created things, O Divine Being' that belong to you, are being consumed; therefore withdraw your energy, let it be quenched in your ownself.

Look at the creatures of your own creation, filled with a desire for doing good to them all. Do that by which all these beings endued with life, may continue to live.

Let not these things with their prowess of propagation weakened, be exterminated. O Creator of the world, you have employed me to be their protector.

O Lord of the universe, let not this mobile and immobile universe be destroyed. You are inclined to show mercy and it is for this reason that I now speak thus.

Narada said Hearing these words (of Mahadeva) the Divine Brahma, desirous of accomplishing the good of the created beings, withdrew in his own inner self his anger that had been excited.

Quenching that fire, the illustrious benefactor of the universe, the Supreme Lord, declared the duties of Production and Emancipation.

When that high-souled god had thus extinguished that fire of his wrath, there came out from the various outlets of his senseorgans, a female figure. She was dark and red and tawny and her tongue, countenance and eyes were red and she was adorned with two shining ear-rings and various other brilliant ornaments.

Coming out of his body, she betook to the southern quarter and she smilingly cast glances at those two lords of the universe.

Then Brahma, that controller of the creation and destruction of the worlds, called her by the name of "Death." And, Oruler of men, he said to her – "Slay" these beings of my creation.

You are the offspring of the wrath I harboured for the destruction of the universe. Therefore kill you all these creations including the learned and the idiot, at my own behest. Thus you shall attain your own good."

Thus spoken to by him, that lady of lotuslike eyes, called “Death," meditated for a long time and then began to wail aloud helplessly in plaintive voice.

Then the grandsire with two hands caught the tears that flowed from her eyes, for the welfare of all creatures and entreated her in the following words.