Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/125

Rh destruction (of the world) is obvious. O Lord, what shall it be when he doth arise?' And Grand-father replied, 'Indeed, the Sun is prepared to rise to-day for the destruction of the worlds. As soon as he appeareth he will burn everything into a heap of ashes. By me hath been provided the remedy beforehand. The intelligent son of Kysyapa is known to all by the name of Aruna. He is huge of body and of great splendour; he shall stay at the front of the Sun, doing the duties of charioteer and taking away all the energy of the former. And this will secure the welfare of the worlds, of the Rishis, and of the dwellers of the heavens.

And Sauti continued, "And Aruna, ordered by the Grand-father, did all that he was ordered to do. And the Sun rose veiled by Aruna's person. I have told these all about why the Sun was in wrath, and how Aruna also was appointed as the Sun's charioteer. Now hear of that other question propounded by thee a little while ago."

And so ends the twentyfourth Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.

 

( Astika Parva continued. )

Sauti said, "Then that bird of great strength and energy and capable of going at will into every place repaired to his mother's side on the other shore of the great ocean. For thither was Vinata in affliction, defeated in wager and put into a state of slavery. And sometimes after, on a certain occasion, Kadru calling Vinata who had prostrated herself to the former, addressed her these words in the presence of her son: 'O gentle Vinata, there is the midst of the ocean, in a remote quarter, a delightful and fair region inhabited by the Nagas. Bear me thither.' And then the mother of that bird of fair feathers bore (on her back or shoulders) the mother of the snakes. And Gadura 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, swoon- 