[Ch 49] Vyaas Jee said to Yudishthir - "Once upon a time, there was a king named Akampan. Once he got defeated by his enemy in battle. He had a son named Hari. He was a great warrior, very handsome and intelligent. He tried to defeat the enemy but unfortunately he was killed. The king performed his last rites and cleansed himself. The king was very sad thinking about his dead son day and night. He was not able to return to his normal life. Then Naarad Jee came to his palace. Akampan told him everything what had happened to him - about his defeat and the killing of his son. Then he asked Naarad Jee - "Hey Rishi, Who is this Death? What is the measure of his energy, strength and power?" Hearing this Naarad told him the history.

He said - "Listen to it O king. In the beginning Brahmaa created many creatures. But they showed no sign of decaying even after long time passed. So he thought to destroy the world but he could not come up to any means of doing that. He then became angry at his failure to find any solution, and this anger caused a fire to spring up from the sky and consumed everything in the world. Thus all the creatures, mobile or immobile, got destroyed. Then Shiv fell on Brahmaa's feet and prayed him to do good to all creatures. Brahmaa said - "What wish of yours shall we fulfill? We shall do everything whatever is agreeable to you. What is your wish?"

Shiv said - "O Param Pitaa, You created this world with a great care and now it is destroyed through your fire. Seeing this I am very sympathetic to you." Brahmaa said - "I had no desire to destroy this Universe. The earth was afflicted with the weight of these creatures, so she always requested to destroy these creatures. I desired to do something good to this Earth but could not find any means that is why this anger possessed me. But it started destroying even trees, stones everything."

Rudra said - "Don't use anger to destroy the creatures of the Earth. Let the present, past and future of the world exist all together. The fire which has come up from your anger, is still burning and is destroying mountains, herbs, trees etc. Do not be angry, I give you this Var. Let this anger be absorbed in yourself. Cast your eye on the creatures to do their good. Do something else so that these creatures are destroyed." Hearing this Brahmaa absorbed his anger in himself and the fire extinguished.

But as the fire extinguished, a woman who was dark and red appeared from his senses. Her tongue, face and eyes were red. She looked at the two Lords of the Universe and walked away towards South. Brahmaa called her Death and said - "Slay these creatures of mine. You are born from my anger which I had to destroy this Universe. So by doing this you should destroy all creatures including idiots and seers. By doing this you will be benefited." Hearing this Death started weeping. Brahmaa collected her tears for the benefit of all creatures and requested her to do this.

[Ch 52] Naarad Jee said - "The helpless woman controlling herself said to him - "How can I, being a woman, do such a cruel act knowingly fully well that this is a cruel act. I don't feel good doing this. Sons, sisters, mothers, fathers are always dear to people. When I will kill them their relatives will try to harm me. I fear this. The tears which will flow from the eyes of those people out of their grief, frighten me. Please protect me. I don't want to go to Yam's Lok. I request you to grant me my wish. I wish to go to do severe Tap, I ask you this var. I will go to the asylum of Dhenukaa. I will not be able to take life of creatures."

Brahmaa said - "You have been created to take life of creatures so you must do this. It cannot be otherwise. Nobody will find any fault in you." That woman became very much frightened. She stood with her folding hands. Then suddenly Brahmaa cast his eyes on creatures and smiled and the creatures continued to live as before unaffected by premature death. Brahmaa shook his head off to cast away his anger and that woman left the place. She did not agree to kill people and went to Dhenukaa. She did there severe penance She stood on one leg for 16 billion years, and then for 50 billions years also. Then she again did penance for 210 billion years standing on one leg. Then she wandered for 100 thousand years among the creatures of the Earth. Then she went to Nandaa River and spent 8,000 years there standing in her waters.

After cleansing herself of all sins she went to Kaushikee River and lived there only on air and water. Then she went to Panch Gangaa, then to Vetasaa, then to Gangaa River, then to Meru Parvat. There she stood motionless like a stone holding her breath. Then she went to the top of Himvant Parvat and stood there on the toe of her feet for a billion years. Then she went to Pushkar, Gokarn, Naimish and Malaya Parvat to do austerities agreeable to her heart. She tried to satisfy only Brahmaa Jee.

Brahmaa asked her - "Why do you go under so severe austerities?" Death said - "Creatures are living in good health. They do not hurt each other even by words. I cannot kill them. I fear sin that is why I was doing these austerities. I am a faultless woman. Be my protector." Brahmaa said - "You will not commit any sin. I never tell lies. Therefore slay these creatures of four kinds. Yam and various diseases will help you in this. Other Devtaa and myself will grant you Var." Death said - "If I have to do this, then I will do this under your orders. Then let covetousness, anger, malice, jealousy, quarrel, shamelessness and other passions should tear their bodies."

Brahmaa said - "It will be so as you have said. Your tears which I have collected will become various diseases and they will kill men. And the men killed in this way will not attach any sin to you. That woman noticed that she was called as Death all the time so she could not act otherwise, besides for the fear of Brahmaa's Shaap she agreed to work as Brahmaa said. It is only living creature that die. Diseases spring from living creatures themselves. It is their natural state so one should not grieve for dead. Thus all creatures, even the Devtaa, have to die like mortals. The senses of the dead person go with the creature and come back once more after achieving their functions when the creatures reborn. The wind that is omnipresent and has infinite energy will come out of the bodies of the creatures, so there will be no energy and any function in their bodies. Even all the Devtaa have the characteristics of mortals. So do not grieve for your son, O king."

Vyaas Jee said to Yudhishthir - "Hearing these words of Naarad, Akampan said - "Now I am not grieved for my son, I am contented." And Naarad Jee went away to the gardens of Nandan Van. Therefore you also do not grieve for him, he is slain after slaying numerous warriors. He has disappeared in lunar essence cleansed of all his impurities."