rt, indeed, superior to all. In consequence, however,
of this disability in respect of a share (in the Sacrificial offerings) I
am filled with great grief, O sinless one, and a tremor overtakes me from
head to foot.'"

"'Bhishma continued, "The goddess (Parvati), having said these words unto
her divine spouse, the Lord of all creatures, O monarch, remained silent,
her heart burning the while in grief. Then Mahadeva, understanding what
was in her heart and what her thoughts were (for wiping off that
disgrace), addressed Nandi, saying, 'Wait here (by the goddess).'
Summoning all his Yoga force, that Lord of all lords of Yoga, that god of
gods, that wielder of Pinaka, possessed of mighty energy, quickly
proceeded to the place (where Daksha was sacrificing) accompanied by all
his terrible followers and destroyed that Sacrifice. Amongst these
followers of his, some uttered loud cries, and some laughed terribly, and
some, O king, extinguished the (Sacrificial) fires with blood; and some,
possessed of awful faces, pulling up the sacrificial stakes, began to
whirl them. Others began to devour those that were ministering to the
Sacrifice. Then that sacrifice, thus afflicted on every side, assumed the
form of a deer and sought to fly away through the skies. Ascertaining
that the Sacrifice was running away in that form, the puissant Mahadeva
began to pursue him with bow and arrow. In consequence of the wrath that
then filled the heart of that foremost of all gods, possessed of
immeasurable energy, a dreadful drop of sweat appeared on his forehead.
When that drop of sweat fell down on the earth, there forthwith appeared
a blazing fire resembling the (all-destructive) conflagration that
appears at the end of a Yuga. From that fire issued a dreadful being, O
monarch, of very short stature, possessed of blood-red eyes and a green
beard. His body was covered entirely with hair like a hawk's or an owl's
and his hair stood erect. Of dreadful aspect, his complexion was dark and
his attire blood-red. Like a fire burning a heap of dry grass or straw,
that Being of great energy quickly consumed the embodied form of
Sacrifice. Having accomplished that feat, he then rushed towards the
deities and the Rishis that had assembled there. The deities, filled with
fear, fled in all directions. In consequence of that Being's tread, the
earth, O monarch began to tremble.[1401] Exclamations of Oh and Alas
arose throughout the universe. Marking this, the