penance in his
hermitage; he even excelled the fire-god, the carrier of oblations, in
splendour and in that state he illumined the whole universe. At that
time the fire-god was also performing a penance and was greatly
distressed by his (Angirasa's) effulgence. He was greatly depressed, but
did not know what to do. Then that adorable god thought within himself,
"Brahma has created another fire-god for this universe. As I have been
practising austerities, my services as the presiding deity of fire have
been dispensed with;" and then he considered how he could re-establish
himself as the _god_ of fire. He beheld the great _muni_ giving heat to
the whole universe like fire, and approached him slowly with fear. But
Angiras said to him, "Do thou quickly re-establish yourself as the fire
animating the universe, thou art well-known in the three stable worlds
and thou wast first created by Brahma to dispel darkness. Do thou, O
destroyer of darkness, quickly occupy thine own proper place." Agni
replied, "My reputation has been injured now in this world. And thou art
become the fire-god, and people will know thee, and not me, as fire. I
have relinquished my god-hood of fire, do thou become the primeval fire
and I shall officiate as the second or Prajapatyaka fire." Angiras
replied, "Do thou become the fire-god and the destroyer of darkness and
do thou attend to thy sacred duty of clearing people's way to heaven,
and do thou, O lord, make me speedily thy first child."' Markandeya
continued, 'Hearing these words of Angiras, the fire-god did as desired,
and, O king, Angiras had a son named Vrihaspati. Knowing him to be the
first son of Angiras by Agni, the gods, O Bharata, came and enquired
about the mystery. And thus asked by the gods he then enlightened them,
and the gods then accepted the explanation of Angiras. In this
connection, I shall describe to thee religious sorts of fire of great
effulgence which are here variously known in the Brahmanas[23] by their
respective uses.'"

[20] Agni or fire was supposed to convey the oblations offered
by men to the gods.

[21] _Kumara_ means a boy, hence a prince. Here Kartika the
war-god is meant.

[22] By carrying their oblations to the gods.

[23] Portions of the Vedas.

SECTION CCXVII

"Markandeya continued, 'O ornament of Kuru's race, he (Angiras) who was
the third son of Brahma had a wife of the name of Subha. Do thou hear of
the children he had by h