The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section XXX
Section XXX.
( Astika Parva continued. )
Sauti said, "The moment the arm of the tree was touched by Gadura of great might with his feet, it broke. And as it broke, it was supported by Gadura. And as he cast his eyes around in wonder after having broken that gigantic branch, he saw that a tribe of Rishis called Valakhilyas were suspended therefrom with heads downwards. And having seen those Brahmarshis engaged in ascetic practices suspended therefrom, Gadura said unto himself, 'Indeed, there are Rishis suspended from it: I will not kill them.' And reflecting that if that branch fell down, the Rishis would be slain, the mighty one held by his claws the elephant and the tortoise yet more firmly. And the king of birds, from fear of slaying the Rishis and desirous of saving them, held that branch in his beaks and rose on his wings. And great Rishis seeing that act of his which was beyond even the power of the gods, their hearts moved by wonder, gave that mighty bird a name. And they said, 'As this ranger of the skies rises on its wings bearing a heavy burden, therefore let this foremost of birds having snakes for his food be called Gadura (bearer of heavy weight.)'
"And shaking the mountains by his wings, Gadura leisurely coursed through the skies. And as he soared with the elephant and the tortoise (in his claws), he beheld various regions underneath. And desiring as he did to save the Valakhilyas, he saw not a spot whereon to sit. And at last he wended to the foremost of mountains called Gandhamadana. And he saw there his father Kasyapa engaged in ascetic devotions. And Kasyapa also saw his son—that ranger of the skies, of divine form, possessed of great splendour, 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, endued with 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 of sucking the ocean itself and of destroying the worlds, fierce, and looking like Yama himself. And then the illustrious Kasyapa seeing him approach and knowing also his motive, spake unto him these words.
"And Kasyapa said, 'O child, don't 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, consume thee.'"
Sauti continued, "And 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 Gadura is for the good of all creatures. The task is great that he is striving to accomplish. It behoveth ye to accord him your permission?'"
Sauti continued, "The Munis thus addressed by the illustrious Kasyapa abandoned that branch and wended to the sacred mountain of Himavata for purposes of ascetic penances. And upon those Rishis going away, the son of Vinata, with voice obstructed by the branch in his beaks, asked his father Kasyapa, 'O thou illustrious one, where am I to throw this arm of the tree? Illustrious one, indicate to me some region that is without human beings.' And 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, the elephant, and the tortoise, then proceeded with great speed towards that mountain of broad waist. And 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. And Gadura, the lord of birds, then flew away for hundred thousands of yojanas within the shortest time. And going according to the directions of his father to that mountain almost in a moment, the ranger of the skies let fall the gigantic branch. And it fell with a great noise. And that king of rocks shook, struck with the storm raised by Gadura's wings. And the trees thereon dropped showers of flowers. And the cliffs of that mountain decked with gems and gold and adorning that great mountain itself, were loosened and fell down on all sides. And the falling branch struck down numerous trees which with their golden flowers amid their dark foliage shone there like clouds charged with lightning. And those trees, bright as gold, falling down upon the ground and becoming dyed with mountain metals, shone as if they were bathed in the rays of the sun.
"And the best of birds, Gadura, perching on the summit of that mountain then ate both the elephant and the tortoise. And he the son of Tarkhya, endued with great speed, having eat of the tortoise and the elephant, then rose on his wings from the top of the mountain summit.
"And various omens began to appear among the gods foreboding feat. Indra's favorite thunder-bolt blazed up in a fright. And meteors with flames and smoke, loosened from the welkin, shot down during the day. And the respective weapons of the Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas, of all of them, of the Sadhyas, the Marutas, and of all the other tribes of the gods, began to spend their force against each other. And such things had never happened even in the war of the gods and the Asuras. And the winds blew accompanied with thunder, and meteors fell by thousands. And the sky, although it was cloudless, roared tremendously. And even he who was the god of gods, dropped showers of blood. And the lustre of the flowery garlands on the necks of the gods was dimned. And their prowess suffered a 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 sight of these dark disasters, spake unto Vrihaspati thus: 'Why, O worshipful one, have these dark disasters suddenly arisen? No foe do I behold who would oppress us in war.' And Vrihaspati answered, 'O thou chief of the gods, thou of a thousand sacrifices, it is from thy fault and carelessness, and owing also to the ascetic penances 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 to assume at will any form, is approaching to take away the Soma. And that bird, foremost among all endued with strength, is able to rob ye of the Soma. Every thing is possible, I ween, in him: the un-achievable he can achieve.'"
"Sauti continued, 'And Indra having heard these words then spoke unto those that guarded the amrita: 'A bird endued with great strength and energy has set his mind on taking away the amrita. I warn ye 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, and battle-axe, various kinds of sharp-pointed short 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. Thus the gods having stood there, that [would be] battle-field, in consequence of hundred thousands of maces furnished with iron spikes, shone like another suddenly arrived sky illumined by the rays of the sun.'"
And so ends the thirteeth section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.