Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/124

 ( Astika Parva continued. )

Sauti said, "Then having heard about and beholding his own body, that bird of beautiful feathers diminished his size.

"And Gadura said, 'Let no creature be afraid; and as ye also are in a fright at sight of my terrible form, I will diminish my energy.

Sauti continued, "Then that bird capable of going everywhere at will, that ranger of the skies capable of calling to his aid any measure of energy, hearing Aruna on his back wended from his father's home and arrived at his mother's side on the other shore of the great ocean. And he placed Aruna of great splendour in the eastern region, when the Sun had resolved to burn the worlds with his fierce rays."

Saunaka said, "What for did the worshipful Sun resolve at that time to burn the worlds? What wrong was done to him by the gods which provoked his ire?"

Sauti said, "O thou sinless one! when Rahu in the act of drinking nectar was discovered to the gods by the Sun and the Moon, the former from that time conceived an enmity towards those deities. And upon the Sun being sought to be devoured by that afflicter (Rahu), he became wroth, and thought, 'O this enmity of Rahu towards me hath sprung from my desire of benefitting the gods. And this sore evil I alone have to sustain. Indeed, at this pass help I obtain not. And the dwellers of the heavens see me about to be devoured and suffer it. And therefore for the destruction of the worlds must I sit.' And with this resolution he went to the mountains of the west.

"And from that place he began to scatter his heat around for the destruction of the worlds. And then the great Rishis approaching the gods spake unto them: 'Lo! in the middle of the night springeth a great heat striking terror into every heart, and destructive of the three worlds.' And then the gods accompanied by the Rishis wended to the Grand-father, and said unto him, 'O what is this great heat to-day that causeth such panic? The Sun hath not yet arisen, still the