[3-183] Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Yudhishthir asked Maarkandeya Jee - "Now we want to hear the greatness of Braahman." Maarkandeya Jee said - "Once a strong handsome young prince of Haihaya family [Parapuranjaya] went for hunting. In the forest, among the thick grown trees, he saw a Muni who was wearing a black antelope skin as his upper garment, so taking him as a deer, he killed him. Seeing him the Muni, his senses paralyzed with grief and he went to elderly Haihaya chiefs. he told them everything what had happened. They also very much afflicted seeing the body of the Muni who had been living upon fruits and roots. They tried to find out whose son he was. Searching they came to the hut of Arishtnemi, son of Kashyap Jee. They greeted him and stood silently. Muni also welcomed them, but the Haihaya elders said - "By our bad luck, we cannot accept your welcome, we have killed a Braahman." Muni asked them - "How could you kill a Braahman? And where is he? Now you all see the power of my ascetic practices." They described whatever had happened and went back to the place where they left the body of the Muni, but did not find it. Searching here and there they came back ashamed as if it was a dream. So Taarkshya Muni said - "O Prince, Is this the Braahman you had killed? This Braahman was endowed with occult gifts and ascetic practices is my son." Seeing the Rishi they all got very surprised, and said - "How this Rishi came to life again? Is this the power of ascetic practices by which he has revived? We want to hear."

Arishtnemi replied - "Death has no power on us. I shall tell you its reason briefly and intelligibly. We perform our own sacred duties, that is why we don't fear death. We entertain our guests with plenty of food and drink, and then we take our food whatever is left. We never speak ill of anybody. We are peaceful, we visit sacred temples, besides we live in such places where people of great spiritual powers live. That is why death is no terror for us. Now you may go back free from all kinds of sin, have no fear of sin." Hearing this all those people came back to their country happily.

[3-184] Maarkandeya Jee continued - "Listen to Braahman's glory more. Once a royal sage was doing Ashwamedh Yagya that Atri Jee desired to go to him for alms, but later he gave up the idea to acquire wealth and desired to live in woods. So he called his wife and sons and said to them - "Let us complete the fruition of our desires. Whether you agree or not, let us go to forest for a meritorious life." His wife said to him - "Go to Vainya and ask him for great riches. If you will ask him, he will surely give you wealth. After getting the vast wealth, you can distribute it among your sons, servants and go wherever you wish to go. This is the highest virtue even for the people who know religion." Atri said - "I have known from Maharshi Gautam, that Vainya is a pious prince, devoted to Truth, but there are Braahman also who are jealous of me; and as Gautam has told me I do not want to go there. If I go there and advise them, they would contradict me and I wouldn't like it, But I will take your advice and will go there, he will give me at least cows and riches."

Maarkandeya Jee continued - "Thus saying the Rishi went to Vainya's sacrifice. Reaching there he greeted and praised the King and said - "Bless you, Muni praise you and no one is as well versed in religion as you are." Gautam Rishi said to him - "Atri, Do not repeat this nonsense. It seems that you are not in your proper senses. In this world only Indra is the lord of all creatures." At this Atri Jee said to Gautam - "As Indra rules our destiny, so does this King. You are mistaken. You have lost your senses because of lack of spiritual experience." Gautam said - "I know I am not mistaken, You are trying to secure King's favor. You are flattering him. You are like a child in ignorance in spite of being old in years."

Maarkandeya Jee said - "When these two Rishi were talking like this in the presence of Muni, Muni asked - "What is the matter with them that are talking like this?" So Kashyap Jee came there and asked them what was the matter. Gautam said - "Listen what is the dispute between us? Atri has said that Vainya is the ruler of our destinies, that is the point we are disputing upon." Maarkandeya Jee continued - "Hearing this Muni immediately went to Sanat Kumaar who are well versed in religion to clear the doubts. They told him the problem, and Sanat Kumaar said - "As fore burns the forest assisted by wind, as Braahman's energy is in conjunction with Kshatriya or a Kshatriya can destroy all enemies joined with Braahman. In the same way, the King is the protector like Indra, protector of morals like Shukraachaarya, a counselor, like Brihaspati and hence is called ruler of men's destinies. That is why "ruler of men", "lord of Earth" etc are used in his praise. As the Sun dispels the darkness in Devtaa's world, in the same way King uproots the sin from the Earth."

Maarkandeya Jee continued - "The prince got very pleased and said to Atri Muni joyfully - "You have compared me to gods, therefore I will give you various kinds of wealth. My impression is that you are omniscient, so I give you 100 million gold coins and 10 Bhaar of gold." Atri Rishi took it and came back home. He distributed his wealth among his sons and went to forest."

[3-185] Maarkandeya Jee continued - "In this connection, when Muni Taarkshya (Kashyap Jee) asked Saraswatee - "O Devee, What is the best thing to do here on Prithvi, so that I do not fall from my path of Dharm? When one should do Yagya and when one should worship so that one does not compromise virtue. Tell me everything so that I can live without passions, cravings and desires in this world." Maarkandeya continued - Hearing this from a virtuous Rishi Saraswatee Jee said - "He who is engaged in study of Ved goes to the Lok of immortals. Many sacred lakes are there, pious men are worshipped there by Apsaraa. There are many large lakes full of flowers, golden lilies and lotuses. He who gives cow to Braahman attains the highest regions, by giving bullocks one reaches Soorya Lok, if one gives clothes he reaches Chandra Lok, and by giving gold one gets the Lok of immortals. A man falls by his own Karm, but the donation of cow saves him in the other world." Taarkshya asked - "O Devee, Tell me the rules of maintaining the sacrificial fire."

Story of Vaivaswat Manu

[3-186] Yudhishthir asked Maarkandeya Jee - "Please tell me now the Story of Vaivaswat Manu." Maarkandeya Jee said - "There was a great Rishi named Manu. He was the son of Vivaswaan and was like Brahmaa. Manu excelled even his father and grandfather in power in fortune and in religious austerities. Once he did severe Tap in a Jujube forest Vishaal for 10,000 years. One day when he was doing Tap with wet clothes and matted hair, a fish approached the Rishi on the banks of Chirinee and said to him - "O Sir, I am a very helpless fish. I am afraid of large fish, so please protect me from them. Strong fish eat the weak and small fish, so please protect me." Out of pity Muni took it out of the water and kept it in an earthen pot. There he cared for it like his child. There it grew and grew. So one day it said to Muni - "Please arrange some other habitat for me. There is no room for me in this vessel." So Manu transferred it in another vessel. After a while it grew again, so it said to Muni - "O Muni, I have grown here also, please transfer me at some other place, I have grown here too." So Manu took it and kept in a large tank. And although the tank was two Yojan long and one Yojan wide, it grew there also, and there was no room for it to play about. This time it said to Manu - "O Pious One, Take me to Gangaa, or as you like. Because I have grown here under your protection, so I will do whatever you will like." So Manu took it to Gangaa and kept it there. But there also it grew very soon and this time it requested Manu to take it to the ocean. He took it to the ocean. Although it was in great bulk, Manu could transport it easily to the ocean. Its touch and smell was also pleasant to him.

When Manu threw it in the ocean, it said to him - "You have taken care of me with so much love, so you listen to me that what you should do in near future. The dissolution of this world is near, the time of sinking this world is near, that is why I tell you what is good for you. For all the mobile and immobile creatures doom is now approaching, so you make a massive ark and tie a long rope to it. You must ascend that ark along with Saptarshi, and take different seeds which were created by Braahman in olden days. You must separately and carefully preserve them. then you should wait for me. I shall appear as an horned animal and you can recognize me, and now I go. You should do as I have said to you, because you cannot save yourself from that fearful flood without my help." Manu said - "I have no doubt what you have said and I will do as you have said to me." And both went away. many gathered all the seeds as the fish had said to him and sailed in the great flood. As he sailed in that flood, he remembered the fish and the fish appeared immediately with horns on its head. Seeing it Manu dropped the noose of his rope in its head. And fastened by the noose, the ark moved fast in that salty waters. Tossed on the great waves of the mighty ocean, the vessel started reeling, and Manu neither could see any land nor he could know the direction. There was water everywhere and only Manu, Saptarshi and the fish were seen there.

The fish diligently continued to drag the ark for many a long year, then O Bhaarat, it dragged it towards the highest peak of Himvant. The fish said to Manu to tie the ark to tie it to that peak. So Manu tied the ark to that peak. O Son of Kuru, That peak is still called as Nau-bandhan (where the boat was tied). Then the fish said to Rishi - "I am Brahm, the Lord of all creatures. None other is greater than me. I have saved you from this flood by assuming the form of a fish. Manu will again create all beings - gods, Asur, men and mobile and immobile creatures. By practicing the austerities he will acquire the power and he will not be affected by Maayaa." After saying this the fish disappeared. Manu then created all beings, mobile and immobile in proper and exact order. This story, which I have told you, destroys all sins and who hears it, attains happiness, his all desires are fulfilled and goes to Heaven."