teeming with fishes and crocodiles, the Danavas assembled
together and began to proudly conspire for the destruction
of the three worlds. And some amongst them that
were wise in inferences suggested courses of action,
each according to his judgment. In course of
time, however, the dreadful resolution arrived at those
conspiring sons of Diti, was that they should, first
of all, compass the destruction of all persons possessed
of knowledge and ascetic virtue. The worlds are
all supported by asceticism. Therefore, they said,
“Lose no time for the destruction of asceticism.
Compass ye without delay the destruction of those
on earth that are possessed of ascetic virtues, that
are conversant with duties and the ways of morality,
and that have a knowledge of
Brahma; for when
these are destroyed, the universe itself will be destroyed.”
And all the Danavas, having arrived at this resolution
for the destruction of the universe, became highly
glad. And thenceforth they made the ocean—that
abode of Varuna—with billows high as hills,
their fort, from which to make their sallies.’”
“Lomasa said, ’The Kalakeyas then having
recourse to that receptacle of waters, which is the
abode of Varuna, began their operations for the destruction
of the universe. And during the darkness of the
night those angry Daityas began to devour the Munis
they found in woody retreats and sacred spots.
And those wicked wretches devoured in the asylum of
Vasishtha, Brahmanas to the number of a hundred and
eighty, besides nine other ascetics. And, proceeding
to the asylum of Chyavana that was inhabited by many
Brahmacharis, they devoured a century of Brahmanas
that lived upon fruit and roots alone. And they
began to do all this during the darkness of the night,
while they entered the depths of the sea by day.
And they slew a full score of Brahmanas of subdued
souls and leading a Brahmacharya mode of life and
living upon air and water alone, in the retreat of
Bharadwaja. And it was thus that those Danavas
the Kalakeyas, intoxicated with prowess of arms and
their lives nearly run out, gradually invaded all
the asylums of the Rishis during the darkness of the
night, slaughtering numerous Brahmanas. And, O
best of men, although the Danavas behaved in this
way towards the ascetics in woody retreats, yet men
failed to discover anything of them. And every
morning people saw the dead bodies of Munis emaciated
with frugal diet, lying on the ground. And many
of those bodies were without flesh and without blood,
without marrow, without entrails, and with limbs separated
from one another. And here and there lay on the
ground heaps of bones like masses of conch shells.
And the earth was scattered over with the (sacrificial)
contents of broken jars and shattered ladles for pouring
libations of clarified butter and with the sacred fires
kept with care by the ascetics. And the universe
afflicted with the terror of the Kalakeyas, being
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