(Astika Parva continued)
Sauti said, "Then that bird of great strength and energy and capable of
going at will to every place repaired to his mother's side on the other
shore of the great ocean. Thither lived Vinata in affliction, defeated in
wager and put into a state of slavery. Once Kadru calling Vinata who had
prostrated herself before the former, addressed her these words in the
presence of her son, 'O gentle Vinata, there is in the midst of the ocean,
in a remote quarter, a delightful and fair region inhabited by the Nagas.
Bear me thither!' At this that mother of the bird of fair feathers bore
(on her shoulders) the mother of the snakes. And Garuda also, directed by
his mother's words, carried (on his back) the snakes. And that ranger of
the skies born of Vinata began to ascend towards the Sun. And thereupon
the snakes, scorched by the rays of the Sun, swooned away. And Kadru
seeing her sons in that state prayed to Indra, saying, 'I bow to thee,
thou Lord of all the gods! I bow to thee, thou slayer of Vritra! I bow to
thee, thou slayer of Namuchi! O thou of a thousand eyes, consort of Sachi!
By thy showers, be thou the protector of the snakes scorched by the Sun. O
thou best of the deities, thou art our great protector. O Purandara, thou
art able to grant rain in torrents. Thou art Vayu (the air), the clouds,
fire, and the lightning of the skies. Thou art the propeller of the clouds,
and hast been called the great cloud (i.e., that which will darken the
universe at the end of Yuga). Thou art the fierce and incomparable thunder,
and the roaring clouds. Thou art the Creator of the worlds and their
Destroyer. Thou art unconquered. Thou art the light of all creatures,
Aditya, Vibhavasu, and the wonderful elements. Thou art the ruler of all
the gods. Thou art Vishnu. Thou hast a thousand eyes. Thou art a god, and
the final resource. Thou art, O deity, all amrita, and the most adored
Soma. Thou art the moment, the lunar day, the bala (minute), thou art the
kshana (4 minutes). Thou art the lighted fortnight, and also the dark
fortnight. Thou art kala, thou kashtha, and thou Truti. Thou art the year,
the seasons, the months, the nights, and the days. Thou art the fair Earth
with her mountains and forests. Thou art also the firmament, resplendent
with the Sun. Thou art the great Ocean with heaving billows and abounding
with whales, swallowers of whales, and makaras, and various fishes. Thou
art of great renown, always adored by the wise and by the great Rishis
with minds rapt in contemplation. Thou drinkest, for the good of all
creatures, the Soma juice in sacrifices and the clarified butter offered
with sacred invocation. Thou art always worshipped at sacrifices by
Brahmanas moved by desire of fruit. O thou of incomparable mass of
strength, thou art sung in the Vedas and Vedangas. It is for that reason
that learned Brahmanas bent upon performing sacrifices, study the Vedas
with every care.'"
And so ends the twenty-fifth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.