e the Sata-rudriya
Mantras. At last Maheswara, thus praised by the deities, became
gratified. The deities than assigned a large share (of the sacrificial
offerings) to him. Trembling with fear, O king, they sought his
protection. When Rudra became gratified, the embodiment of sacrifice,
which had been pierced in twain, became once more united. Whatever limbs
of his had been destroyed by the shafts of Mahadeva, became once more
whole and sound. The Asuras possessed of great energy had in days of yore
three cities in the firmament. One of these had been made of iron, one of
silver, and the third of gold. With all his weapons, Maghavat, the chief
of the deities, was unable to pierce those cities. Afflicted by the
Asuras, all the deities then sought the protection of the great Rudra.
Assembled together the high-souled deities addressed him, saying, 'O
Rudra, the Asuras threaten to exert their destructive influence in all
acts! Do thou slay the Daityas and destroy their city for the protection
of the three worlds, O giver of honours!' Thus addressed by them, he
replied, saying, 'So be it!' and then made Vishnu his excellent
shaft-head. He made the deity of fire his shaft-reed, and Surya's son
Yama the wings of that shaft. He made the Vedas his bow and the goddess
Savitri his excellent bow-string. And he made the Grandsire Brahma his
charioteer. Applying all these, he pierced the triple city of the Asuras
with that shaft of his, consisting of three Parvans and three
Salyas.[617] Indeed, O Bharata, the Asuras with their cities, were all
burnt by Rudra with that shaft of his whose complexion was like that of
the sun and whose energy resembled that of the fire which appears at the
end of the Yuga for consuming all things. Beholding that Mahadeva changed
into a child with five locks of hair lying on the lap of Parvati, the
latter asked the deities as to who he was. Seeing the child, Sakra became
suddenly filled with jealousy and wrath and resolved to kill him with his
thunder. The child, however, paralysed the arm, looking like a mace of
iron, of Indra with the thunderbolt in it. The deities all became
stupefied, and they could not understand that the child was the Lord of
universe. Verily, all of them along with the very Regents of the world,
found their intellects stupefied in the matter of that child who was none
else than the Supreme Being. Then the illustrious Grandsire Brahma,
reflecting with the aid of his penances, found ou