I fear sin, and it is for this that I am engaged in ascetic austerities.  O blessed one, undertake to remove for ever my fears.  I am a woman, in distress, and without fault.  I beg thee, be thou protector.  Unto her the divine Brahman acquainted with the past, the present and the future, said, ’Thou shalt commit no sin, O Death, by slaying these creatures.  My words can never be futile., O amiable one!  Therefore, O auspicious damsel, slay these creatures of four kinds.  Eternal virtue shall always be thine.  That Regent of the world, viz., Yama, and the diverse disease shall become thy helpmates.  I myself and all the gods will grant thee boons, so that, freed from sin and perfectly cleansed, thou mayst even acquire glory.’  Thus addressed, O monarch, that lady, joining her hands, once more said these words, seeking her grace by bowing down unto him with her head, If, O Lord, this is not to be without me, then thy command I place upon my head.  Listen, however, to what I say, Let covetousness, wrath, malice, jealousy, quarrel, folly and shamelessness, and other stern passions tear the bodies of all embodied creatures.’

“Brahman said, ’It will be, O Death, as thou sayest.  Meanwhile, slay creatures duly.  Sin shall not be thine, nor shall I seek to injure thee, O auspicious one.  Those tear-drops of thine that are in my hands, even they will become diseases, springing from living creatures themselves.  They will kill men; and if men are killed, sin shall not be thine.  Therefore, do not fear, Indeed, sin shall not be thine.  Devoted to righteousness, and observant of thy duty, thou shalt sway (all creatures).  Therefore, take thou always the fives of these living creatures.  Casting off both desire and wrath, take thou the life of all living creatures.  Even thus will eternal virtue be thine.  Sin will stay those that are of wicked behaviour.  By doing my bidding cleanse thyself.  It will be thine to sink them in their sins that are wicked.  Therefore, cast off both desire and wrath, and kill these creatures endued with life.’

“Narada continued, ’That damsel, seeing that she was (persistently) called by the name of Death, feared (to act otherwise).  And in terror also of Brahma’s curse, she said, ‘Yes!’ Unable to do otherwise, she began, casting off desire and wrath, to take the lives of living creatures when the time came (for their dissolution).  It is only living creatures that die.  Diseases spring from living creatures themselves.  Disease is the abnormal condition of creatures.  They are pained by it.  Therefore, indulge not in fruitless grief for creatures after they are dead.  The senses, upon the death of creatures, go with the latter (to the other world), and achieving their (respective) functions, once more come back (with creatures when the latter are reborn).  Thus all creatures, O lion among beings, the very gods included going, thither, have to act, like mortals.[86] The wind, that is awful, of terrible roars and great