re
him, the chief of the deities came there, O royal sage, and gratified the
Rishi Agastya. On the completion of that sacrifice, Agastya, filled with
joy, worshipped those great Rishis duly and then dismissed them all.'

"Janamejaya said, 'Who was that mongoose with a golden head, that said
all those words in a human voice? Asked by me, do thou tell me this.'

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thou didst not ask me before and, therefore, I did
not tell thee. Hear as I tell thee who that mongoose was and why he could
assume a human voice. In former times, the Rishi Jamadagni proposed to
perform a Sraddha. His Homa cow came to him and the Rishi milked her
himself. He then placed the milk in a vessel that was new, durable and
pure. The deity Dharma, assuming the form of Anger, entered that vessel
of milk. Indeed, Dharma was desirous of ascertaining what that foremost
of Rishis would do when seeing some injury done to him. Having reflected
thus, Dharma spoiled that milk. Knowing that the spoiler of his milk was
Anger, the ascetic was not at all enraged with him. Anger, then, assuming
the form of a Brahmana lady, showed himself to the Rishi. Indeed, Anger,
finding that he had been conquered by that foremost one of Bhrigu's race,
addressed him, saying, "O chief of Bhrigu's race, I have been conquered
by thee. There is a saying among men that the Bhrigus are very wrathful.
I now find that that saying is false, since I have been subdued by thee.
Thou art possessed of a mighty soul. Thou art endued with forgiveness. I
stand here today, owning thy sway. I fear thy penances, O righteous one.
Do thou, O puissant Rishi, show me favour."

"'Jamadagni said, "I have seen thee, O Anger, in thy embodied form. Go
thou whithersoever thou likest, without any anxiety. Thou hast not done
me any injury today. I have no grudge against thee. Those for whom I had
kept this milk are the highly blessed Pitris. Present thyself before them
and ascertain their intentions." Thus addressed, penetrated with fear,
Anger vanished from the sight of the Rishi. Through the curse of the
Pitris he became a mongoose. He then began to gratify the Pitris in order
to bring about an end of his curse. By them he was told these words, "By
speaking disrespectfully of Dharma thou shalt attain to the end of thy
curse." Thus addressed by them he wandered over places where sacrifices
were performed and over other sacred places, employed in censuring great
sacrifices. It was he that ca