Markandeyapurana 22.8

22.8

rājaputra brīvīmi tvāṃ tat kuruṣva yadīcchasi /
na ca te prārthanābhaṅgaḥ kāryaḥ satyapratiśrava //

“One day, however, while moving about, he saw Pātālaketu’s younger brother Tālaketu, who had fixed his hermitage on the bank of the Yamunā. The wily Dānava had assumed a Muni’s shape. Bearing the previous enmity in mind, he accosted the king’s son—‘O royal prince! I accost thee, do thou then accomplish my request if thou art willing: nor must thou refuse my petition, thou that art true to thy promise! I will offer a sacrifice to Dharma, and the oblations also must be made. The funeral piles must be put up there, since they have not yet ascended into the air. Hence give me, O hero! this thy own ornament that is about thy neck for gold, and guard thou my hermitage, until I praise within the water the god Varuna, the lord of marine animals, with the mantras prescribed by the Vedas for Varuna’s worship, which cause creatures to thrive, and in haste return.’ To him as he spoke thus the prince did obeisance and then gave his neck-ornament, and replied to him, ‘Go sir! with a mind at ease; I will stay in this very spot near thy hermitage according to thy command, Sir! until thy coming again. No man shall cause thee molestation here while I stay. And do thou in perfect confidence, without hurry, O brāhman, accomplish thy purpose.’