Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/127

Rh Vedangas! It is for that reason that the learned Brahmanas bent upon performing sacrifices study the Vedangas with every care.

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

 

( Astika Parva continued. )

Sauti continued, "And then the illustrious one having the best of horses for his bearer, thus adored by Kadru, covered the entire firmament with masses of blue clouds. And he commanded the clouds, saying, 'pour ye your vivifying and blessed drops.' And those clouds luminous with lighting, and incessantly roaring against each other in the welkin, poured abundant water. And the sky looked as if the end of the Yuga had come, in consequence of those wonderful and terribly-roaring clouds that were incessantly begetting vast quantities of water. And in consequence of myriads of waves caused in the falling torrents, the deep roar of the clouds, the flashes of lightning, the violence of the wind, and the general agitation, the sky looked as if dancing in madness. And then the sky became dark, the rays of the sun and the moon totally disappearing in consequence of the incessant downpour by those clouds.

"And upon Indra's causing that downpour, the Nagas became exceedingly delighted. And the Earth was filled with water all around. And the cool clear water reached even the nether regions. And there were countless watery waves all over the Earth. And the snakes with their mother reached (in safety) the island called Ramaniaka."

And so ends the twenty-sixth Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.

