Sauptika Parva — The great sacrifice of the gods in the Krita age. The destruction of the sacrifice by Rudra. Ashvatthaman's success is due to Rudra's help

The holy one said "After the Satya Yuga had passed away, the gods, desirous of celebrating a sacrifice, made preparations according to the Vedic prescription.

They collected clarified butter and the other necessary articles. And they not only collected the requisites of their sacrifice, but also determined those amongst themselves that should partake of the sacrificial offerings.

Not knowing Rudra truly, the gods, O king, reserved no share for the divine Sthanu.

Seeing that the celestials reserved no share for him in the sacrificial offerings, Sthanu, clad in deer skins, desired to destroy that Sacrifice and with that object made a bow.

There are four sorts of Sacrifices, viz. the Loka-Sacrifice, the Sacrifice of especial rites, the eternal domestic Sacrifice, and the Sacrifice consisting in the gratification of man from his enjoyment of the five elemental substances and their compounds. From these four sorts of Sacrifice that the universe had emanated.

Kaparddin made that bow out of the materials of the first and the fourth kinds of Sacrifices. The length of that bow was five cubits.

the sacred (mantra) Vashat, O Bharata, was made its string. The four parts, of which a Sacrifice consists, became the ornaments of that bow.

Then Mahadeva, worked up with rage, and taking up that bow proceeded to that spot where the celestials were celebrating the Sacrifice.

Seeing the illustrious Rudra arrive there dressed as a Brahmacharin and armed with that bow, the goddess Earth shrank with fear and the mountains began to shake.

The wind ceased to move, and fire itself, though fed, did not burn. The stars in the sky, in fear, moved irregularly.

The Sun's effulgence decreased. The disc of the Moon lost its beauty. The entire sky was covered with a thick darkness.

The celestials did not know what to do. Their Sacrifice ceased to blaze forth. The gods were all terrified.

Rudra then cut the embodiment of Sacrifice with a dreadful arrow in the heart. Assuming the shape of a deer, the embodied from of Sacrifice, fled away with the god of fire.

Approaching heaven in that form, he shone in beauty. Rudra, however, O Yudhishthira, pursued him through the sky.

After Sacrifice had fled away, the gods lost their beauty. Having lost their senses, the gods were bewildered.

Then the three-eyed Mahadeva, with his bow, broke in anger the arms of Savitri, and plucked out the eyes of Bhaga and the teeth of Pushna.

The gods and the several parts of Sacrifice fled away. Some amongst the them rolling dropped down senseless.

Having agitated them thus the blue throated Rudra, laughed aloud and whirling his bow, paralysed them.

The celestials then cried aloud. At their command, the string of the bow broke. The string having broken, the bow became straight as a line.

The gods then came to the god of gods, and, with the embodied form of Sacrifice, sought the protection of the powerful Mahadeva and tried to please him.

Pleased, the great god threw his anger into the water. O king, assuming the from of fire, that wrath is always busy with consuming water.

He then gave to Savitri his arms, Bhaga his eyes, and Pushna his teeth. And he also restored the Sacrifices themselves, O Pandava.

The world was once more saved. The gods assigned to Mahadeva all the libations of clarified butter as his share of sacrificial offerings.

O monarch, when Mahadeva had become angry, the whole world was thus agitated, and, when he became gratified, Everything was safe. Highly powerful, the god Mahadeva was pleased with Ashvatthaman.

Therefore your sons, those great carwarriors, could be killed by that warrior. And therefore also many other heroes, viz., the Panchala's, with all their followers, could be killed by him.

You should not think of it. It was not Drona's son that performed that act. It was done through the power of Mahadeva. Do now what should be done next."