Section XXV

"Sauti said, 'Then that bird of great strength and energy and capable of going at will to every place repaired to his mother’s side on the other shore of the great ocean. Thither lived Vinata in affliction, defeated in wager and put into a state of slavery. Once Kadru calling Vinata who had prostrated herself before the former, addressed her these words in the presence of her son,

'O gentle Vinata, there is in the midst of the ocean, in a remote quarter, a delightful and fair region inhabited by the Nagas. Bear me thither!'

At this that mother of the bird of fair feathers bore (on her shoulders) the mother of the snakes. And Garuda also, directed by his mother’s words, carried (on his back) the snakes. And that ranger of the skies born of Vinata began to ascend towards the Sun. And thereupon the snakes, scorched by the rays of the Sun, swooned away. And Kadru seeing her sons in that state prayed to Indra, saying,

'I bow to you, you Lord of all the gods! I bow to you, you slayer of Vritra! I bow to you, you slayer of Namuchi! O you of a thousand eyes, consort of Sachi! By your showers, be you the protector of the snakes scorched by the Sun. O you best of the deities, you are our great protector. O Purandara, you are able to grant rain in torrents.

You are Vayu (the air), the clouds, fire, and the lightning of the skies.

You are the propeller of the clouds, and hast been called the great cloud (i.e., that which will darken the universe at the end of Yuga).

You are the fierce and incomparable thunder, and the roaring clouds.

You are the Creator of the worlds and their Destroyer.

You are unconquered.

You are the light of all creatures, Aditya, Vibhavasu, and the wonderful elements.

You are the ruler of all the gods.

You are Vishnu.

You have a thousand eyes.

You are a god, and the final resource.

You are, O deity, all amrita, and the most adored Soma.

You are the moment, the lunar day, the bala (minute), you are the kshana (4 minutes).

You are the lighted fortnight, and also the dark fortnight.

You are kala, you kashtha, and you Truti. ^[1]

You are the year, the seasons, the months, the nights, and the days.

You are the fair Earth with her mountains and forests.

You are also the firmament, resplendent with the Sun.

You are the great Ocean with heaving billows and abounding with whales, swallowers of whales, and makaras, and various fishes.

You are of great renown, always adored by the wise and by the great Rishis with minds rapt in contemplation.

You drinkest, for the good of all creatures, the Soma juice in sacrifices and the clarified butter offered with sacred invocation.

You are always worshipped at sacrifices by Brahmanas moved by desire of fruit.

O you of incomparable mass of strength, you are sung in the Vedas and Vedangas. It is for that reason that learned Brahmanas bent upon performing sacrifices, study the Vedas with every care.'"

And so ends the twenty-fifth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.