Then, following the sacred rites prescribed in the Vedas, the illustrious sage Bhṛgu took Pulomā as his wife, performing every ceremony with utmost propriety. I, too, was present as a witness to this union, O Dānava. This is the truth as I have seen and understood it; I cannot bring myself to utter falsehood, for in this world, O best among Dānavas, truth is ever held in the highest regard. Upon hearing Agni's words, the Rākṣasa who had seized Pulomā abandoned her. Assuming the guise of a brāhmaṇa and moving with the swiftness of thought and wind, he departed. At that moment, the embryo residing in the womb of Bhṛgu's noble wife, angered by these events, fell out from his mother’s womb. Because of this, he became known as Cyavana. When the Rākṣasa beheld the child—radiant as the sun—emerging from his mother's womb, he was instantly reduced to ashes and fell, releasing Pulomā from his grasp. Overcome with grief, the beautiful-hipped Pulomā gathered up her son Cyavana, descendant of Bhṛgu, and fled from that place. It was then that Brahmā himself, the grandsire of all the worlds, saw Bhṛgu’s faultless wife weeping, her eyes filled with tears. The blessed grandsire comforted the grieving bride, and from her tears, a great river began to flow. That river, following the path of Bhṛgu’s ascetic wife, traced her course, and thus the river’s flow was established. Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds, bestowed upon the river her name: Vadhūsarā, for she flowed toward Cyavana’s hermitage. In this way was Cyavana, the mighty son of Bhṛgu, born. There, Bhṛgu himself found his radiant wife Pulomā with Cyavana by her side. Consumed by anger, Bhṛgu questioned her: “By whom were you revealed to that Rākṣasa who sought to seize you? For that Rākṣasa did not know you were my wife, O lovely-smiling one. Speak the truth, for today, in my wrath, I wish to curse the one responsible. Who is so fearless of my curses, and whose is this transgression?” Pulomā replied, “O blessed one, it was Agni who revealed me to that Rākṣasa. Then, as I cried out like a curlew, that Rākṣasa carried me away. But through the radiance of your son, I was freed; the Rākṣasa was reduced to ashes, released me, and fell.” Hearing Pulomā’s words, Bhṛgu, filled with intense fury, cursed Agni in his anger: “You shall become the devourer of all!” Afflicted by Bhṛgu’s curse, Agni, angered, spoke in protest: “O Brahman, what rash deed have you committed against me? I always act in righteousness and speak only the truth. When questioned, I answered truthfully—how am I at fault? If a witness, knowing the truth, speaks otherwise when asked, he destroys seven generations of his ancestors and descendants. And one who knows the truth but remains silent for the sake of justice is equally tainted by sin—of this there is no doubt. “I, too, am capable of cursing you, but I honor the Brahmins. Still, O Brahman, listen to what I must say. Through the power of yoga, I manifest in many forms; I reside in the agnihotra, in sacrifices, and in all sacred rites. By the procedures laid out in the Vedas, whatever is offered into me truly satisfies both the gods and the ancestors. The waters themselves are the hosts of the gods and the ancestors; both the Darsha and Purnamasa rites are performed for the gods together with the ancestors. Thus, gods and ancestors are united and also honored separately at sacred times. “Whatever is offered into me, gods and ancestors both partake of it; I am regarded as the mouth of both. On the new moon, the ancestors, and on the full moon, the gods, receive their offerings through my mouth. How, then, shall I become their mouth if I am to be all-consuming? “In the agnihotra and other sacrificial rites of the twice-born, without the sacred utterances of ‘Om’ and ‘Vashat,’ and lacking ‘Svaha’ and ‘Swadha,’ without fire, all creatures became greatly distressed. The sages, troubled by this disruption, went to the gods and spoke: ‘Because Agni is absent and the rites are interrupted, the three worlds are thrown into confusion. Arrange what must be done so that the order of time is not broken.’ “So, the sages and gods approached Brahmā and informed him of Agni’s curse and the cessation of the rituals: ‘Agni, O illustrious one, was cursed by Bhṛgu for another reason; how can he, the mouth of the gods, again partake of the foremost share of sacrifices?’ “Hearing their words, Brahmā, the creator of all, summoned Agni. With gentle words, eternal and creative of beings, he addressed him: ‘You are the maker and the end of all these worlds. You uphold the three worlds and are the initiator of rites. Therefore, O Lord of the worlds, act thus, or else the rites will be interrupted. Why are you confused, though you are the Lord, O Fire? You are always pure in this world and the refuge of all beings. ‘You will not, with your whole being, become the devourer of all; for the flames you emit in the lower breath consume everything, O flaming one. Your form as the devourer of flesh will consume all, just as everything touched by the rays of the sun is seen as pure. In the same way, all that is burned by your flame will become pure; you, O Agni, are the supreme radiance, arisen from your own power.