(Astika Parva continued)
Sauti said, "At the very touch by Garuda of great might with his feet,
the branch of the tree broke as it was caught by Garuda. Casting his eyes
around in wonder he saw Valakhilya Rishis hanging therefrom with heads
downwards and engaged in ascetic penances. Reflecting that if that bough
fell down, the Rishis would be slain, the mighty one held the elephant and
the tortoise still more firmly with his claws. And from fear of slaying
the Rishis and desire of saving them, held that bough in his beaks, and
rose on his wings. The great Rishis were struck with wonder at the sight
of that act of his which was beyond even the power of the gods, and gave
that mighty bird a name. And they said, 'As this ranger of the skies rises
on its wings bearing a heavy burden, let this foremost of birds having
snakes for his food be called Garuda (bearer of heavy weight).'
"And shaking the mountains by his wings, Garuda leisurely coursed through
the skies. And as he soared with the elephant and the tortoise (in his
claws), he beheld various regions underneath. Desiring as he did to save
the Valakhilyas, he saw not a spot whereon to sit. At last he went to that
foremost of mountains called Gandhamadana. There he saw his father Kasyapa
engaged in ascetic devotions. Kasyapa also saw his son, that ranger of the
skies, of divine form, possessed of great splendour, and energy and
strength, and endued with the speed of the wind or the mind, huge as a
mountain peak, a ready smiter like the curse of a Brahmana, inconceivable,
indescribable, frightful to all creatures, possessed of great prowess,
terrible, of the splendour of Agni himself, and incapable of being
overcome by the deities, Danavas, and invincible Rakshasas, capable of
splitting mountain summits and sucking the ocean itself and destroying the
three worlds, fierce, and looking like Yama himself. The illustrious
Kasyapa, seeing him approach and knowing also his motive, spoke unto him
these words:
"Kasyapa said, 'O child, do not commit a rash act, for then thou wouldst
have to suffer pain. The Valakhilyas, supporting themselves by drinking
the rays of the sun, might, if angry, blast thee.'"
Sauti continued, "Kasyapa then propitiated, for the sake of his son, the
Valakhilyas of exceeding good fortune and whose sins had been destroyed by
ascetic penances. And Kasyapa said, 'Ye whose wealth is asceticism, the
essay of Garuda is for the good of all creatures. The task is great that
he is striving to accomplish. It behoveth you to accord him your
permission.'"
Sauti continued, "Those ascetics thus addressed by the illustrious
Kasyapa, abandoned that bough and went to the sacred mountain of Himavat
for purposes of ascetic penances. After those Rishis had gone away, the
son of Vinata, with voice obstructed by the bough in his beaks, asked his
father Kasyapa saying, 'O illustrious one, where shall I throw this arm of
the tree? O illustrious one, indicate to me some region without human
beings.' Then Kasyapa spoke of a mountain without human beings with caves
and dales always covered with snow and incapable of approach by ordinary
creatures even in thought. And the great bird bearing that branch, that
elephant, and that tortoise, proceeded with great speed towards that
mountain. The great arm of the tree with which that bird of huge body flew
away could not be girt round with a cord made of a hundred (cow) hides.
Garuda, the lord of birds, then flew away for hundreds of thousand of
yojanas within the shortest time. And going according to the directions
of his father to that mountain almost in a moment, that ranger of the
skies let fall the gigantic bough. And it fell with a great noise. And
that Prince of mountains shook, struck with the storm raised by Garuda's
wings. And the trees thereon dropped showers of flowers. And the peaks
decked with gems and gold adorning that great mountain itself, were
loosened and fell down on all sides. And the falling bough struck down
numerous trees which, with golden flowers amid dark foliage, shone there
like clouds charged with lightning. And those trees, bright as gold,
falling down upon the ground and, dyed with mountain metals, shone as if
they were bathed in the rays of the sun.
"Then that best of birds, Garuda, perching on the summit of that mountain,
ate both the elephant and the tortoise, rose on his wings with great speed
from the top of the mountain.
"And various omens began to appear among the gods foreboding fear. Indra's
favourite thunderbolt blazed up in a fright. Meteors with flames and smoke,
loosened from the welkin, shot down during the day. And the weapons of the
Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas, the Sabhyas, the Maruts, and other gods,
began to spend their force against one another. Such a thing had never
happened even during the war between the gods and the Asuras. And the
winds blew accompanied with thunder, and meteors fell by thousands. And
the sky, though cloudless, roared tremendously. And even he who was the
god of gods shed showers of blood. And the flowery garlands on the necks
of the gods faded and their prowess suffered diminution. And terrible
masses of clouds dropped thick showers of blood. And the dust raised by
the winds darkened the splendour of the very coronets of the gods. And He
of a thousand sacrifices (Indra), with the other gods, perplexed with fear
at the sight of those dark forebodings spoke unto Vrihaspati thus, 'Why, O
worshipful one, have these natural disturbances suddenly arisen? No foe do
I behold who would oppress us in war.' Vrihaspati answered, 'O chief of
the gods, O thou of a thousand sacrifices, it is from thy fault and
carelessness, and owing also to the ascetic penance of the high-souled
great Rishis, the Valakhilyas, that the son of Kasyapa and Vinata, a
ranger of the skies endued with great strength and possessing the capacity
of assuming at will any form, is approaching to take away the Soma. And
that bird, foremost among all endued with great strength, is able to rob
you of the Soma. Everything is possible with him; the unachievable he can
achieve.'"
Sauti continued, "Indra, having heard these words, then spoke unto those
that guarded the amrita, saying, 'A bird endued with great strength and
energy has set his heart on taking away the amrita. I warn you beforehand
so that he may not succeed in taking it away by force. Vrihaspati has told
me that his strength is immeasurable.' And the gods hearing of it were
amazed and took precautions. And they stood surrounding the amrita and
Indra also of great prowess, the wielder of the thunder, stood with them.
And the gods wore curious breastplates of gold, of great value, and set
with gems, and bright leathern armour of great toughness. And the mighty
deities wielded various sharp-edged weapons of terrible shapes, countless
in number, emitting, even all of them, sparks of fire with smoke. And they
were also armed with many a discus and iron mace furnished with spikes,
and trident, battle-axe, and various kinds of sharp-pointed missiles and
polished swords and maces of terrible form, all befitting their respective
bodies. And decked with celestial ornaments and resplendent with those
bright arms, the gods waited there, their fears allayed. And the gods, of
incomparable strength, energy, and splendour, resolved to protect the
amrita. Capable of splitting the towns of the Asuras, all displayed
themselves in forms resplendent as the fire. And in consequence of the
gods standing there, that (would be) battle-field, owing to hundreds of
thousands of maces furnished with iron spikes, shone like another
firmament illumined by the rays of the Sun."
So ends the thirtieth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.