(Astika Parva continued)
Sauti said, "Then hearing of and beholding his own body, that bird of
beautiful feathers diminished its size.
"And Garuda said, 'Let no creature be afraid; as ye are in a fright at the
sight of my terrible form, I shall diminish my energy.'"
Sauti continued, "Then that bird capable of going everywhere at will,
that ranger of the skies capable of calling to his aid any measure of
energy, bearing Aruna on his back, wended from his father's home and
arrived at his mother's side on the other shore of the great ocean. And he
placed Aruna of great splendour in the eastern regions, just at a time
when Surya had resolved to burn the worlds with his fierce rays."
Saunaka said, "When did the revered Surya resolve at the time to burn the
worlds? What wrong was done to him by the gods that provoked his ire?"
Sauti said, "O sinless one, when Rahu was drinking nectar among the gods
at the time of the churning of the ocean he was pointed out to the gods by
Surya and Soma, and from that time he conceived an enmity towards those
deities. And upon this Rahu sought to devour his afflictor (Surya), became
wroth, and thought, 'Oh, this enmity of Rahu towards me hath sprung from
my desire of benefiting the gods. And this dire consequence I alone have
to sustain. Indeed, at this pass help I obtain not. And before the very
eyes of the denizens of heaven I am going to be devoured and they brook it
quietly. Therefore, for the destruction of the worlds must I strive.' And
with this resolution he went to the mountains of the west.
"And from that place he began to radiate his heat around for the
destruction of the world. And then the great Rishis, approaching the gods,
spake unto them, 'Lo, in the middle of the night springeth a great heat
striking terror into every heart, and destructive of the three worlds.'
Then the gods, accompanied by the Rishis, wended to the Grandsire, and
said unto him, 'O what is this great heat today that causeth such panic?
Surya hath not yet risen, still the destruction (of the world) is obvious.
O Lord, what will happen when he doth rise?' The Grandsire replied,
'Indeed, Surya is prepared to rise today for the destruction of the world.
As soon as he will appear he will burn everything into a heap of ashes. By
me, however, hath the remedy been provided beforehand. The intelligent son
of Kasyapa is known to all by the name of Aruna. He is huge of body and of
great splendour; he shall stay in front of Surya, doing the duty of his
charioteer and taking away all the energy of the former. And this will
ensure the welfare of the worlds, of the Rishis, and of the dwellers in
heaven.'"
Sauti continued, "Aruna, at the behest of the Grandsire, did all that he
was ordered to do. And Surya rose veiled by Aruna's person. I have told
thee now why Surya was in wrath, and how Aruna, the brother of Garuda, was
appointed as his charioteer. Hear next of that other question asked by
thee a little while ago."
And so ends the twenty-fourth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.