56. These sounds were resounded by the elephants of the deep (pátála); while the bird of heaven—_Garuda_, was snatching the gigantic demons as his prey. 57. The dread of the demons drove the celestial deities, the Siddhas and Sáddays and the gods of the winds, together with the Kinnaras, Gandharvas and Cháranas, from all their different quarters to one indistinct side. (There was no distinction of the sides in the chaotic state). 58. Then there blew a tremendous tornado like the all-destroying Boreas of universal desolation; laying waste the trees of the garden of paradise, and threatening to destroy the gods; while the thunders of heaven were splitting and breaking down the mountains flung to the face of the sky. CHAPTER XXVII ADMONITION OF BRAHMÁ. Argument. The defeated Devas have recourse to Brahmá in their danger, who tells them the way of their averting it. Vasishtha related:—As the war of the gods and Titans, was raging violently on both sides, and their bodies were pierced by the weapons of one another:— 2. Streams of blood, gushed out of their wounds like water-falls in the basin of Ganges; and the gods caught into the snares of the demigods, groaned and roared aloud like lions. 3. Vyála (Baal) with his stretching arms, was crushing the bodies of the gods; and Kata was harassing them in their unequal challenge with them. 4. The Daityas waged their battle with the rage of the mid-day sun, and put to flight the Airávata elephant of Indra—the leader of the gods. 5. The Devas dropped down with their bodies gored with wounds, and spouting with blood; and their armies fled on all sides, like the currents of a river overflowing and breaking down its bank. 6. Dáma, Vyála and Kata pursued the flying and run away gods, in the same manner as a raging fire runs after the wood for its fuel. 7. The Asuras sought and searched long after the gods in vain, for they had disappeared like the deer and lions, among the thickets after breaking loose of their snares. 8. Failing to find out the gods, the generals Dáma, Vyála and Kata, repaired with cheerful hearts to their chief in his abode in the infernal region. 9. The defeated gods after halting awhile, had then their recourse to the almighty Brahmá, in order to consult him on the means of gaining their victory over the demons. 10. Brahmá then appeared to the blood besmeared Devas with his purple countenance, as the bright and cooling moonbeams appear in the evening on the surface of the sea, tinged with the crimson hues of the setting sun. 11. They bowed down before him, and complained of the danger that was brought upon them by Sambara, through his generals Dáma, Vyála and Kata, whose doings they fully related to him. 12. The judging-Brahmá having heard and considered all this, delivered the following encouraging words to the host of gods before him.