Page:History of India Vol 1.djvu/96

66 "We sing the heroic deeds which were performed by Indra the thunderer. He destroyed Ahi (the cloud-serpent) and caused rains to descend and opened out the paths for the mountain streams to roll.

"Indra slew Ahi, who rested on the mountains; Tvashtri had made the far-reaching thunderbolt for him. Water in torrents flowed towards the sea, as cows run eagerly towards their calves.

"Impetuous as a bull, Indra quaffed the Soma-juiee; he drank the Soma libations offered in the three sac-



rifices. He then took the thunderbolt and therewith slew the eldest of the Ahis.

"When you killed the eldest of the Ahis, you destroyed the contrivances of the artful contrivers. You cleared the sun and the morning and the sky, and left no enemies behind.

"Indra with his all-destructive thunderbolt slew the darkling Vritra (cloud) and lopped his limbs. Ahi now lies touching the earth like the trunk of a tree felled by the axe.

"The proud Vritra thought that he had no equal, and defied the destroyer and conqueror Indra to com-