Having pondered deeply, the great Fire—Agni—was overcome with anger and resolved upon a course of action. In a flash, Fire disappeared from the world, and with his absence, all sacred rites such as the Agniṣṭoma ceased. The gods, seeing this, were thrown into great confusion and doubt. Deprived of Fire’s presence, mortals could no longer perform their rituals and soon met with destruction. The gods, realizing the gravity of the situation, resolved to seek out Fire, wondering where he now dwelled. They scoured the breadth of the earth in search of him. Their search left them weary, and at last, they beheld a parrot before them. The parrot spoke, revealing that the radiant Fire, the one who receives oblations, had vanished—and that the parrot had seen him. The parrot, angered, cursed Fire and revealed his hiding place: Agni had entered the interior of the śamī tree and the noble aśvattha tree. The parrot declared to Fire, “Your tongue will become inverted.” Thus, Agni concealed himself so well that even the gods could not perceive him. The parrot further told the gods, “Here Fire abides, in the waterfall and on the mountain. I barely escaped death’s jaws, O gods.” The parrot had also cursed a frog, declaring, “You shall be tongueless.” After these revelations, all the hosts of gods emerged from the waters where they had been searching. The gods addressed Fire with urgency: “If you are absent, the whole world will swiftly fall into ruin. You are the face of all the gods; the worlds are established in you. Without you, we would surely perish—therefore, you must protect us. You are Brahma, you are Mahadeva, you are Vishnu, you are the Sun. All the gods, beginning with Indra, depend on you, O Lord of Sacrifice. Why, O Blessed One, do you wish to abandon us who are innocent?” Standing on the bank of that very stream, Agni spoke: “Because of this, the Lord of the gods does not bring rain upon mortals. Therefore, abandoning the earth, I have entered this stream here.” At that time, there was a righteous and renowned Kshatriya named Devapi. His son, Pratipa, was virtuous and foremost in good conduct; Pratipa renounced the kingdom, and his son Shantanu became the successor. Because of these events, rain was withheld from Shantanu’s kingdom. Shantanu acted swiftly and gave orders for rain to fall upon the earth. At Indra’s command, the clouds, filled with lightning and radiance, gathered and poured forth rain, restoring balance. The Lord of Offerings, Agni, was at last supremely satisfied. The gods then spoke to Agni: “Whatever is dear to you, quickly declare it to us. Let your fame spread upon the earth by your favor.” Agni replied, “Whoever bathes here properly will go to my world. Any man who gives sesame here at this holy place, with full concentration, will be blessed.” Thus, the blessed Fire-god resumed his activities as before. It was declared that whoever recites this account daily, rising in the morning, attains the highest state; even by hearing it, one is freed from sins committed day and night. Where a man bathes properly, he is released from the sin of killing a Brahmin. In this same sacred region, there once lived a king named Indrasena, a ruler of the earth. His wife was devoted, steadfast in her love and loyalty to him. Yet, after some time, King Indrasena, together with his family, met his fate. He was slain, his wealth seized, and the victor departed for his own home.