'"
SECTION CCXXI
"Markandeya continued, 'Mudita, the favourite wife of the fire Swaha,
used to live in water. And Swaha who was the regent of the earth and sky
begot in that wife of his a highly sacred fire called Advanta. There is
a tradition amongst learned Brahmanas that this fire is the ruler and
inner soul of all creatures. He is worshipful, resplendent and the lord
of all the great _Bhutas_ here. And that fire, under the name of
Grihapati, is ever worshipped at all sacrifices and conveys all the
oblations that are made in this world. That great son of Swaha--the
great Adbhuta fire is the soul of the waters and the prince and regent
of the sky and the lord of everything great. His (son), the Bharata
fire, consumes the dead bodies of all creatures. His first Kratu is
known as Niyata at the performance of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. That
powerful prime fire (_Swaha_) is always missed by the gods, because when
he sees Niyata approaching him he hides himself in the sea from fear of
contamination. Searching for him in every direction, the gods could not
(once) find him out and on beholding Atharvan the fire said to him, "O
valiant being, do thou carry the oblations for the gods! I am disabled
from want of strength. Attaining the state of the red-eyed fire, do thou
condescend to do me this favour!" Having thus advised Atharvan, the fire
went away to some other place. But his place of concealment was divulged
by the finny tribe.
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