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INTRODUCTION
13
Yama, however, enamoured of her beauty, used her as his wife, but; in order that she might not be seen and taken away from him, he concealed her in his stomach. After some time, Vayu, the God of Wind, remarked to his friend Agni, the God of Fire, that Yama was the happiest of the gods, living as he did in the company of a woman of incomparable beauty. Agni asked how he could have access to her; but Vayu replied that Yama concealed her in his stomach and it was not possible even to see her. Still, he said, when Yama went to perform ablutions and the sin-wiping ceremony (Aghamarsana) he disgorged her, and then only she was to be found alone. Agni took advantage of that opportunity and appeared before her on one occasion. He could win her easily and spent some time in amorous intercourse with her. When it was time for Yama to come back, Chaya told Agni to disappear, as he would destroy both of them if seen together. But Agni refused to go, whereupon she swallowed him and kept him concealed in her stomach.
Agni having thus disappeared from the world, the usual course of sacrifices and of cooking was interrupted, and gods and men were greatly troubled. Thereupon Indra told Vayu to find out Agni. Vayu searched for him everywhere, but did not find him. He informed Indra of this, but said that there was one place which had not searched and where he was likely to be found. Thereupon he invited all the gods to a feast, He gave one seat and one offering to each of the gods, but provided Yama with three. Yama asked why he gave him three. If he was thinking of his beloved who was concealed within him, he should give two; but why three? Vayu promised to explain the reason, and told him to disgorge Chaya. This Yama did; and when Chaya appeared, Vayu told her to disgorge Agni. She did let out Agni accordingly and everybody was surprised.
Here we have one of the many stories about the disappearance of Agni.
In this way the Vidyadhara goes on transforming himself into a different person on each occasion, discoursing with the Brahmans and afterwards pointing out the absurdities of the Brahmanic sacred books to his friend. The following are some of the observations he addresses to the latter. "All people divide property between themselves everywhere; but the division of a woman (among several men) is censured even by the censurable. The Vyasa who was the son of Yojanagandha was a different man from him who was the son of Satyavati, a happy princess. Parasara the king was a different man from Parasara the ascetic; people confound them, being deluded by the identity of name. Duryodhana and others were the sons of Gandhari, and Dhrtarastra; the five Pandavas are well-known in the world as the sons of Kunti and Madri. All the sons of Gandhari, together with Karna, allied themselves with Jarasamdha and the Pandavas with Kesava. The powerful Vasudeva, having killed Jarasamdha in battle, became the (one) lord of the earth on the whole surface of the earth. The sons of Kunti having practised religious austerities went to the place of Siva or a holy place; the two sons of Madri being desirous of salvation attained to accomplishment in all respects. Duryodhana and the rest having resorted to the teaching of the Jina reached the abode of the gods in accordance with their respective deeds. This is old history, but it is old in a
