any creatures in the Universe, shall ever be able to bear thy prowess.  No one amongst even the celestials shall be able to vanquish thee in battle.  Through my grace, none shall ever be able to cause thee pain by the weapon of thunderbolt or with any object that is wet or dry, or with any mobile or immobile thing.  Thou shalt be superior to myself if thou ever goest to battle against me.’  Thus were these boons acquired by Sauri in days of yore.  Even that God now walketh the earth (as Vasudeva), beguiling the universe by his illusion.  From Narayana’s asceticism was born a great Muni of the name of Nara, equal to Narayana himself.  Know that Arjuna is none else than that Nara.  Those two Rishis, said to be older than the oldest gods, take their births in every Yuga for serving the purposes of the world.  Thyself also, O thou of great heart, hast been born as a portion of Rudra, by virtue of all thy religious acts and as a consequence of high ascetic austerities, endued with great energy and wrath.  Thou wert (in a former life) endued with great wisdom and equal to a god.  Regarding the universe to consist only of Mahadeva, thou hadst emaciated thyself by diverse vows from desire of gratifying that God.  Assuming the form of a very superior person, that blazes fourth with splendour, thou hast, O giver of honours, worshipped the great god with mantras, with homa, and with offerings.  Thus adored by thee in thy former life, the great god became gratified with thee, and granted thee numerous boons, O learned one, that thou hadst cherished in thy heart.  Like Kesava’s and Arjuna’s thy birth acts, and ascetic austerities are also superior.  Like them, in thy worship, thou hast, in every Yuga, adored the great God in his Phallic form.  Kesava is that devoted worshipper of Rudra who has sprung from Rudra himself.  Kesava always worship the Lord Siva, regarding his Phallic emblem to be the origin of the universe.  In Kesava is always present that knowledge, in consequence of which he views the identity of Brahman with the:  universe and that other knowledge by which the Past, the Present and the Future, the near and the remote, are all seen, as if the whole are before his eyes.  The gods, the Siddhas and the great Rishis, adore Kesava for obtaining that highest object in the universe, viz., Mahadeva.  Kesava is the creator of everything.  The Eternal Krishna should be adored with sacrifices.  The Lord Kesava always worshippeth Siva in the Phallic emblem as the origin of all creatures.  The God having the bull for his mark cherisheth greater regard for Kesava.’

“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing these words of Vyasa, Drona’s son, that mighty car-warrior, bowed unto Rudra and regarded Kesava as worthy of the highest regards.  Having his soul under complete control, he became filled with delight, the marks whereof appeared on his body.  Bowing unto the great Rishi, Aswatthaman then, casting his eyes on the (Kuru) army, caused it-to be withdrawn (for nightly rest).  Indeed, when, after the fall of Drona, the cheerless Kurus retired from the field, the Pandavas also, O monarch, caused their army to be withdrawn.  Having fought for five days and caused an immense carnage, that Brahman well-versed in the Vedas, viz., Drona, repaired, O king, to the region of Brahma!’.”