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They were not slain by wholesale. Just listen to this: At this place Garuda was in the habit of devouring one snake daily, catching it up from hell, whilst the whole contents of the ocean were cleft asunder from top to bottom by the wind of his wings.

Alas! his deed was most cruel. And then?

Then Garuda was addressed by Vásuki, who feared annihilation of the whole serpent race

Did he say, "Eat me first"?

No, no.

What then?

This is what he said: "Through fear of your furious descent, the embryos of the snakes are prematurely born by thousands, and the young ones perish; so that our continuous line of descent is cut off, and your own interests are destroyed. Therefore that snake, for the