Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) (12 page)

Souti said, ‘Having been thus addressed by Kadru, the illustrious god who rides tawny horses,
⁶²
covered the entire sky with layers of blue clouds. Those clouds, sparkling with lightning, poured down copious quantities of water. As the clouds continued to thunder in the sky, as if at each other, and continuously poured down torrents of water that were welcome, they roared. The sky seemed to madly dance with the wind’s violence, the clap of thunder and the waves of showers. As Vasava
⁶³
poured down this rain, the nagas were overwhelmed with delight. The entire earth was covered everywhere with water.’

Souti said, ‘Carried by Suparna, they soon came to an island. It was surrounded by the waters of the ocean and echoed with the songs of birds. There were myriad fruits and flowers in the woods that were there. There were beautiful houses and lakes with lotuses. It was adorned with charming lakes that were full of clear water. It was refreshed with pure winds that carried with them divine fragrances. It was radiant with trees that grow on the Malaya mountains.
⁶⁴
They rose high up in the sky and stirred by the breeze, showered down flowers. It was as if the trees bathed the nagas who lived there with rain in the form of flowers. It was a charming, pleasant and divine place, dear to the gandharvas and the apsaras. Echoing with the sweet melodies of many birds, it delighted Kadru’s sons.

‘Having arrived in those woods, the
pannaga
s
⁶⁵
enjoyed themselves there. Then they told the immensely valorous Suparna, supreme among birds, “Take us to another beautiful island that has large quantities of water. O bird! You must have seen many enchanting countries when travelling through the sky.” Having thought about this, the bird asked his mother Vinata, “O mother! Why must I do what the serpents ask me to?” Vinata replied, “O supreme among birds! I have become the slave of my ignoble sister. The serpents deceived me and made me lose a wager.” When his mother told him the reason, the one who travels in the sky
⁶⁶
grieved.

‘He told the serpents, “O serpents! What can I get you? What can I find out for you? What feat of power can I perform? Tell me truly how one can be freed from this state of slavery.” Having heard the bird, the serpents asked him to use his energy to bring the
amrita
.
⁶⁷
That was the way to be freed from slavery.’

Souti said, ‘When he had heard the words of the snakes, Garuda told his mother, “I am going to get the amrita. But I wish to eat something. Tell me what.” Vinata replied, “The
nishada
s
⁶⁸
have their excellent home in a remote part of the ocean. Eat thousands of nishadas and bring back the amrita. But never set your mind on killing a Brahmana. Among all living beings, a Brahmana is like fire and is never to be killed. When he is angered, a Brahmana is like fire, the sun, poison or a sharp weapon. Among all beings, he is the one who obtains the first share at a sacrifice, is supreme among the varnas and is a father and preceptor.”

‘Garuda said, “O mother! I am asking you. What are the auspicious signs through which I will recognize a Brahmana? You should tell me.” Vinata replied, “O son! If a man goes down your throat torturing you like a swallowed fish hook or burning it like hot coal, know him to be a bull among Brahmanas.” Out of the great love she bore for her son, Vinata again repeated the words. Vinata knew her son’s valour to be unparalleled. But she nevertheless pronounced a blessing on him. “Let the Maruts protect your wings. O son! Let the moon protect your back. Let the fire protect your head. Let the sun protect all your body. O son! I shall always be engaged in ceremonies that bring you peace and welfare. O son! Go in safety and accomplish your objective.” Having heard his mother’s words, the bird then stretched his wings and flew up into the sky.

‘The powerful one soon descended hungrily on the nishadas, like Yama himself. Determined to destroy the nishadas, he raised a great storm of dust that covered up the sky. This dried up the water in the ocean and shook the mountains that grew around. The king of birds opened his gigantic mouth and stopped the route of the nishadas. In great alarm, the nishadas also entered the mouth of the eater of snakes. Like frightened birds in a forest that rise in thousands into the sky when there is a great storm, the nishadas were blinded by the dust and in thousands entered the wide open mouth of the giant eater of snakes. Then the hungry bird, with great strength and swift speed, the scorcher of his enemies, closed his mouth. The traveller in the sky killed many nishadas, who depend on diverse fish for a living.’

Souti said, ‘A Brahmana and his wife had entered his throat and began to burn the bird’s throat like a piece of coal. The giant bird said, “O best among the twice-born! Come out of my open mouth quickly. A Brahmana will never be killed by me, even if he is always associated with those who commit sin.” When Garuda said
this, the Brahmana replied, “My wife is a nishada. Let her come out with me.” Garuda said, “Take the nishada with you and come out immediately. Save yourself, before you are digested by the energy in my stomach.” Thereupon, the Brahmana emerged with the nishada woman. Praising Garuda, he went to the country where he wished to go. When the Brahmana and his wife emerged, the king of birds, swift as the mind, stretched his wings and rose up into the sky.

‘He then saw his father,
⁶⁹
who asked him about his welfare and he replied, “I have been sent by the snakes to steal the supreme soma. I shall bring it today, to free my mother from her slavery. My mother instructed me to eat the nishadas. But even after eating them in their thousands, my hunger is not yet satisfied. O illustrious one! O lord! Show me some other food that I can eat, so that I am strong enough to steal the amrita.”

‘Kashyapa said, “In ancient times, there was a maharshi named Vibhavasu. He became angry very easily. He had a younger brother named Supratika,
⁷⁰
who was a great ascetic. That great sage was unwilling to maintain their wealth jointly with his brother and Supratika always spoke of dividing it. After some time, Vibhavasu told his brother Supratika, ‘It is from delusion that many wish to divide common property. Once it has been divided, they are deluded from love of wealth. Ignorant from selfishness, enmity is created, though there is a disguise of friendship. Others, knowing them estranged in property matters, increase the enmity on other matters and divided relatives meet their downfall. Absolute ruin soon comes to those who are separated. That is the reason why learned ones never approve partition among brothers. When divided, they do not have any respect for the sacred texts or preceptors. O Supratika! You are beyond my control. Disregarding my advice and out of love for riches, you wish for a partition. I curse you that you will become an elephant.’ Thus cursed, Supratika told Vibhavasu, ‘You will
become a tortoise that lives in the water.’ Cursed by each other and their minds deluded by desire, they became an elephant and a tortoise, animals of low birth. Boastful of their strengths and sizes, as earlier, they have continued in their vice of enmity towards each other, living in this huge lake. Look at one of them, the large and handsome elephant, come towards this lake now. Hearing his trumpeting, the giant tortoise that lives under water rises out of the lake, agitating its waters. On seeing him, the valorous elephant curls his trunk and rushes into the water, violently moving his tusks, trunk, tail and feet. The water that is full of fishes is agitated. The valorous tortoise also raises its head and comes up to fight. The elephant is six yojanas
⁷¹
in height and double that in length. The tortoise is three yojanas in height and ten yojanas in circumference. These two are maddened at the prospect of fighting each other and wish to kill each other. Eat them up and swiftly accomplish the task you wish to perform.” Hearing his father’s words, the bird swooped down from the sky and swiftly grasped the elephant and the tortoise, one in each claw.

‘The bird then flew high up into the sky. It went to the
tirtha
⁷²
named Alamba and saw many celestial trees there. Struck by the wind raised by his wings, the trees trembled in fear. Those celestial trees had golden branches and were scared that these would be broken. Seeing that the trees bore fruit and shoots capable of granting all desires and that they were quivering in fright, the bird went to other trees, incomparable in colour and shape. Those giant trees had fruit of gold and silver, with branches of lapis lazuli. They were washed by the waters of the ocean.

‘A giant sandalwood
⁷³
tree stood there and spoke to the best of the birds, as he was swiftly swooping down with the speed of the mind. “Descend on my giant branch, which extends for one hundred yojanas, and eat the elephant and the tortoise.” Then the supreme among the birds, as giant as a mountain, descended swiftly on the
tree, shaking the branches that housed a thousand birds, and broke the branch that was full of leaves.’

Souti said, ‘As soon as the tree’s branch was touched by the immensely powerful Garuda with his feet, it snapped. He
⁷⁴
held onto it as it was about to fall. As he wonderingly gazed at that large branch that had been broken, he saw the
valakhilya
s
⁷⁵
hanging from it, their heads facing downwards. The lord of birds was scared of killing them and carefully held the branch in his beak and ascended again. Shaking the mountains, the bird slowly circled the sky and while doing this, passed many countries, with the elephant and the tortoise. In his compassion for the valakhilyas, he could find no place to alight on. At last he went to the best of mountains, the indestructible Gandhamadana.

‘There he saw his father Kashyapa engaged in austerities. His father also saw the bird of divine form, with energy, valour and strength, swift as the wind and the mind, large as a mountain, like the raised staff of a Brahmana, inconceivable, incapable of description, terrible to all beings, the possessor of the valour of delusion,
⁷⁶
as radiant as Agni himself, incapable of being vanquished by devas, danavas and rakshasas, capable of splintering mountain peaks, drying up the water of rivers and whirling the worlds, as terrible as Yama himself.

‘On seeing him approach and knowing his wishes, the illustrious Kashyapa told him, “O son! Do not commit a rash act, because that can bring sudden pain. The valakhilyas sustain themselves on the sun’s rays. If angry, they can scorch you.” Therefore, for his son’s
sake, Kashyapa propitiated the valakhilyas, accomplished performers of austerities. He explained the reason and said, “O performers of austerities! Garuda’s endeavour is for the welfare of all creatures. He is trying to perform a great act. Therefore, please give him permission.” Having been thus addressed by the illustrious Kashyapa, the valakhilyas gave up the branch and went off to the sacred Himalayas, in search of more austerities.

‘When they went away, Vinata’s son,
⁷⁷
the branch still extending his beak, asked his father Kashyapa, “O lord! Where will I discard this branch of the tree? O lord! Tell me of a land where there are no Brahmanas.” Kashyapa told him of a mountain that was uninhabited by men, inaccessible and incapable of being penetrated by others even in their thoughts, covered with snow and full of caves. The great bird, Tarkshya,
⁷⁸
carried the branch, the elephant and the tortoise and swiftly, with the power of his mind, entered the mountain’s wide base. A thin leather strap cut out of a hundred skins wouldn’t have been long enough to encircle that giant branch the giant bird carried in his flight. Garuda, the lord of all the birds, flew over 100,000 yojanas in the briefest possible time. As if in a moment, he reached the mountain his father had described and released the branch, which fell down with a great roar. On being struck by the wind unleashed by the bird’s wings, the king of mountains trembled. As the trees collapsed, they showered down flowers. The peaks of that great mountain, adorned with gold and gems, were shattered on all sides. The falling branch struck many trees with golden flowers and they looked like clouds charged with lightning. Bright as gold, those falling trees mixed with the mountain’s minerals and glowed, as if reflecting the red rays of the sun. The best of birds sat down on the peak of the mountain and ate both the elephant and the tortoise.

‘With the speed of the mind, he
⁷⁹
then arose from the mountain peak. Ominous and fearful portents appeared before the gods. Indra’s
vajra
blazed forth in great pain. Meteors that trailed flames and smoke were loosened from the sky and descended. The weapons of vasus, rudras, adityas, saddhyas, maruts and other classes of gods began to fight among themselves. Such things had never occurred earlier, not even during the war between devas and asuras. Meteors showered down in all directions, tumultuous winds thundered and the cloudless sky made a tremendous roar. Even the God of the gods rained showers of blood. Garlands on the necks of the gods faded and the sky’s energy withered. Fearful masses of clouds rained down thick showers of blood. The swirling dust darkened the splendour of crowns worn by the gods. Then Shatakratu,
⁸⁰
with the other gods, was greatly alarmed and frightened. Bewildered at these terrible portents, he asked Brihaspati,
⁸¹
“O illustrious one! Why have these terrible portents suddenly arisen? I do not see any enemy who can withstand us in battle.” Brihaspati replied, “O Shatakratu! O king of the gods! It is because of your own fault and negligence. Through the power of their austerities, the valakhilyas have created a wonderful being—the bird who is the son of the sage Kashyapa and Vinata. He is powerful and capable of assuming any form at will and is coming to take away the soma. The bird is supreme among the strong and is capable of taking away the soma. He is capable of achieving the impossible.” Hearing this, Shakra
⁸²
spoke to the guardians of the amrita, “An immensely valorous and strong bird has decided to take the soma away. I am warning you in advance, so that he doesn’t succeed in taking it away by force. Brihaspati has told me that his strength is unparalleled.” When they heard these words, the gods were amazed.