The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
Sauti continued, "Meanwhile, moved by the desire of offspring, the good
daughter of Daksha, the vow-observing, amiable, and fortunate Vinata, her
ascetic penances over, having purified herself with a bath in that season
when connubial companionship might prove fruitful, approached her lord.
And Kasyapa spake unto her, 'Respected one, the sacrifice commenced by me
hath borne fruit. What hath been desired by thee shall come to pass. Two
heroic sons, shall be born unto thee, who shall be the lords of the three
worlds. By the penances of the Valakhilyas and by virtue of the desire
with which I commenced my sacrifice, those sons shall be of exceedingly
good fortune and worshipped in the three worlds!' And the illustrious
Kasyapa spake unto her again, 'Bear thou these auspicious seeds with great
care. These two will be the lords of all winged creatures. These heroic
rangers of the skies will be respected in all the worlds, and capable of
assuming any form at will.'
"And the Prajapati, gratified with all that took place, then addressed
Indra of a hundred sacrifices, saying, 'Thou shalt have two brothers of
great energy and prowess, who shall be to thee even as the helpmates. From
them no injury shall result unto thee. Let thy sorrow cease; thou shalt
continue as the lord of all. Let not, however, the utterers of the name of
Brahma be ever again slighted by thee. Nor let the very wrathful ones,
whose words are even the thunderbolt, be ever again insulted by thee.'
Indra, thus addressed, went to heaven, his fears dispelled. And Vinata
also, her purpose fulfilled, was exceedingly glad. And she gave birth to
two sons, Aruna and Garuda. And Aruna, of undeveloped body, became the
fore-runner of the Sun. And Garuda was vested with the lordship over the
birds. O thou of Bhrigu's race, hearken now to the mighty achievement of
Garuda."
So ends the thirty-first section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.
SECTION XXXII
(Astika Parva continued)
Sauti said, "O foremost of Brahmanas, the gods having prepared for battle
in that way, Garuda, the king of birds, soon came upon those wise ones.
And the gods beholding him of excessive strength began to quake with fear,
and strike one another with all their weapons. And amongst those that
guarded the Soma was Brahmana (the celestial architect), of measureless
might, effulgent as the electric fire and of great energy. And after a
terrific encounter lasting only a moment, managed by the lord of birds
with his talons, beak, and wings, he lay as dead on the fields. And the
ranger of the skies making the worlds dark with the dust raised by the
hurricane of his wings, overwhelmed the celestials with it. And the latter,
overwhelmed with that dust, swooned away. And the immortals who guarded
the amrita, blinded by that dust, could no longer see Garuda. Even thus
did Garuda agitate the region of the heavens. And even thus he mangled the
gods with the wounds inflicted by his wings and beak.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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