s womb. It behoveth thee not to assail my
mother.' Hearing these words of the unborn child, Vrihaspati, became
filled with wrath and denounced a curse on him, saying,--'Since thou
obstructest me in this way when I have come hither from desire of the
pleasures of congress, therefore shalt thou, by my curse, be visited by
blindness, without doubt!' Through this curse of that foremost of Rishis,
the child of Utathya was born blind, and blind he remained for a long
time. It was for this reason that the Rishi, in days of yore, came
to be known by the name of Dirghatamas. He, however, acquired the four
Vedas with their eternal limbs and subsidiary parts. After that he
frequently invoked me by this secret name of mine. Indeed, according to
the ordinance as laid down, he repeatedly called upon me by the name of
Kesava. Through the merit he acquired by uttering this name repeatedly,
he became cured of his blindness and then came to be called by the name
of Gotama. This name of mine, therefore, O Arjuna is productive of boons
unto them that utter it among all the deities and the high-souled Rishis.
The deity of Fire (Appetite) and Shoma (food) combining together, become
transfused into one and the same substance. It is for this reason that
the entire universe of mobile and immobile creatures is said to be
pervaded by those two deities.[1853] In the Puranas, Agni and Soma are
spoken of as complementary to one another. The deities also are said to
have Agni for their mouth. It is in consequence of these two beings
endued with natures leading to the unification that they are said to be
deserving of each other and upholders of the universe."'"

SECTION CCCXLIII

"'Arjuna said, "How did Agni and Shoma, in days of yore, attain to
uniformity in respect of their original nature? This doubt has arisen in
my mind. Do thou dispel it, O slayer of Madhu!"

"'The highly and holy one said, "I shall recite to thee, O son of Pandu,
an ancient story of incidents originating from my own energy. Do thou
listen to it with rapt attention! When four thousand Yugas according to
the measure of the celestials elapse, the dissolution of the universe
comes. The Manifest disappears into the Unmanifest. All creatures, mobile
and immobile, meet with destruction. Light, Earth, Wind, all disappear.
Darkness spreads over the universe which becomes one infinite expanse of
water. When that infinite waste of water only exists like Brahma without
second, it is