Then the holder of thunderbolt sundered the embryo into seven pieces. Cut into pieces with the thunderbolt the embryo began to cry (133). Sakra again and again prevented him saying "Do not cry! Do not cry!" The embryo was then divided into seven pieces. Indra too, the slayer of enemies, worked up with anger, again cut every piece into seven portions with his thunder-bolt. From them originated the gods called Maruts, O foremost of Bharatas (134-135). Because they were addressed by Maghavan (saying "Do not weep" _Ma ruda_) so the Maruts were born and they all became of help to the holder of thunder-bolt (136). When creatures thus multiplied, O Janamejaya, Hari consoled that foremost of gods of immeasurable energy, and then conferred kingdoms on various Patriarchs of whom Prithu was first installed as king (137-138). That Hari is the heroic person Vishnu, Jishnu, the Patriarch, the king of rains and is the air in his visible form. The whole universe is His (139). O foremost of Bharatas, he, who is informed of this creation of creatures, and he who reads or hears the auspicious birth of the Maruts, has no fear of being born again in this world—what of fear in the next world (140)? ⁹ They are nymphs and the nurses of Kumara. ¹⁰ The thirty three gods are:—8 Vasus, 11, Rudras, 12 Adityas, Brahma and Indra. CHAPTER IV. A QUERY REGARDING THE ORIGIN OF THE ARTICLES OF FOOD. Janamejaya said:—Having installed Prithu the son of Vena, in the office of the Lord Paramount the Patriarch began to confer kingdoms on Soma and others (1). He placed Soma in charge of the twice-born, herbs, planets, stars, sacrifices and hard austerities (2). He then installed Varuna as the king of waters, Vaishravana as the lord of kings, Vishnu the king of Adityas, Pāvaka the king of Vasus, Laksha the king of Patriarchs, Vāsava the king of Maruts, Pralhāda of incomperable energy the king of Daityas, and and Danavas, Yama, the offspring of the sun, as the king of the departed manes, Nārāyana as the king of Mātris, vows, Mantrās, kine, Yakshas, Rākshasas and kings and Siva, having the emblem of a bull, as the king of Sādhyas and Rudras (3–7). He then ordered Viprachitta to become the king of the Dānavas and made Girisha (Siva) the holder of mace, the king of all ghosts and goblins (8). He made Himavān, the king of mountains, and the ocean the king of rivers and appointed the greatly power Vāyu as the king of smell, bodiless creatures, sound, ether and earth (9). He made the lord Chitraratha the king of Gandarvas, Vāsuki, the king of Nāgas and Takshaka the king of serpents (10). He ordered Airavat to become the king of the elephants, Ushaishrava, of the horses and Garuda the king of birds, tiger the king of beasts and the bull, the king kine, Plaksha the king of trees, and, installed Parjanya as the king of ocean, rivers, showers and Adityas (11—13). He installed Sesha as the king of wild animals and Takshaka, the king of reptiles and serpents (14).