मन्दपाल उवाच युष्माकमपवर्गार्थं विज्ञप्तो ज्वलनो मया। अग्निना च तथेत्येवं प्रतिज्ञातं महात्मना॥
Mandapala said : I spoke to Agni about your safety, the illustrious deity also promised me that he would do what I wished.
अग्नेवर्चनमाज्ञाय मातुर्धर्मज्ञतां च वः। भवतां च परं वीर्यं पूर्वं नाहमिहागतः॥
On account of those words of Agni and also knowing the virtuous character of your mother and the great effulgence that are in you, I did not come here earlier.
न संतापो हि वः कार्यः पुत्रका हदि मां प्रति। ऋषीन् वेद हुताशोऽपि ब्रह्म तद् विदितं च वः॥
O sons, therefore do not allow anger to enter your hearts. You are all Rishis, learned in the Vedas. Agni knows you full well.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमाश्वासितान् पुत्रान् भार्यामादाय स द्विजः। मन्दपालस्ततो देशादन्यं देशं जगाम ह॥
Vaishampayana said : Having thus assuring his sons, the Brahmana Mandapala took with hirn his wife and children; and leaving that region, he went away to some other country.
भगवानपि तिग्मांशुः समिद्धः खाण्डवं ततः। ददाह सह कृष्णाभ्यां जनयञ्जगतो हितम्॥
Having grown in strength, the illustrious deity of fearful rays also consumed the Khandava with the assistance of the two Krishna's for the good of the world.
वसामेदोवहाः कुल्यास्तत्र पीत्वा च पावकः। जगाम परमां तृप्तिं दर्शयामास चार्जुनम्॥
Having drunk many rivers of fat and marrow, Agni became highly gratified and he then appeared before Arjuna.
ततोऽन्तरिक्षाद् भगवान वतीर्य पुरंदरः। मरुद्गणैर्वृतः पार्थं केशवं चेदमब्रवीत्॥
Then Purandara (Indra), surrounded by the Marutas, came down from the sky and thus spoke to Partha and Keshava.
कृतं युवाभ्यां कर्मेदममरैरपि दुष्करम्। वरं वृणीतं तुष्टांऽस्मि दुर्लभं पुरुषेष्विह॥
“You have achieved a feat that even a celestial can never do. Ask each of you a boon that is not obtainable by man. I am very much pleased with you”.
पार्थस्तु वरयामास शक्रादस्त्राणि सर्वशः। प्रदातुं तच्च शक्रस्तु कालं चक्रे महाद्युतिः॥
Partha asked Indra to bestow upon him all his weapons. Thereupon the greatly effulgent Shakra (Indra) fixed the time to bestow them (on Arjuna). He then said,
यदा प्रसन्नो भगवान् महादेवो भविष्यति। तदा तुभ्यं प्रदास्यामि पाण्डवास्त्राणि सर्वशः॥
"O son of Pandu, when the illustrious Mahadeva (Shiva) will be pleased with you, I shall then give you all my weapons.
अहमेव च तं कालं वेत्स्यामि कुरुनन्दन। तपसा महता चापि दास्यामि भवतोऽप्यहम्॥ आग्नेयानि च सर्वाणि वायव्यानि च सर्वशः। मदीयानि च सर्वाणि ग्रहीष्यसि धनंजय॥
O Kuru prince, O Dhananjaya I shall know when that time will come. I will bestow upon you for your severe asceticism all my fire and wind-weapons, you will accept them all from me."
वासुदेवोऽपि जग्राह प्रीतिं पार्थेन शाश्वतीम्। ददौ सुरपतिश्चैव वरं कृष्णाय धीमते॥
Vasudeva (Krishna) asked that his friendship with Arjuna might last forever. The chief of the celestial (Indra) granted to the intelligent Krishna the boon he asked.
एवं दत्त्वा वरं ताभ्यां सह देवैर्मरुत्पतिः। हुताशनमनुज्ञाप्य जगाम त्रिदिवं प्रभुः॥
Having granted these boons to those (heroes) and having spoken to Agni, the lord of the Marutas, accompanied by the celestial, went away to heaven.
पावकश्च तदा दावं दग्ध्वा समृगपक्षिणम्। अहानि पञ्च चैकं च विरराम सुतर्पितः॥
Agni also, having burnt that forest with all its creatures, animals and birds (continually) for fifteen days, became gratified; and he then extinguished himself.
जग्ध्वा मांसानि पीत्वा च मेदांसि रुधिराणि च। युक्तः परमया प्रीत्या तावुवाचाच्युतार्जुनौ॥ युवाभ्यां पुरुषाचयाभ्यां तर्पितोऽस्मि यथासुखम्। अनुजानामि वां वीरौ चरतं यत्र वाञ्छितम्॥
Having eaten flesh in plentiful quantities and drank fat and blood (to his heart's content), he became highly gratified; he then thus spoke to Arjuna and Achyuta (Krishna), “I have been gratified by you two best of men. O heroes, you shall be able to go at my command wherever you like."
एवं तौ समनुज्ञातौ पावकेन महात्मना। अर्जुनो वासुदेवश्च दानवश्च मयस्तथा॥ परिक्रम्य ततः सर्वे त्रयोऽपि भरतर्षभ। रमणीये नदीकूले सहिताः समुपाविशन्॥
Having been thus addressed by the illustrious Agni, Arjuna and Vasudeva (Krishna) and the Danava Maya also then roamed there for sometime. They then all sat down on the charming banks of a river.