Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/133

Rh and Vibhavasu, from each other's curse, have become an elephant and a tortoise. Owing to their wrath, they have both become inferior animals. And they are engaged in hostilities with each other, proud of their excessive strength and the weight of their bodies. And in this lake those two of huge bodies are engaged in acts according to their former hostility. The other amongst them, the handsome elephant of huge body, is even now approaching. And hearing his roar, the tortoise also of huge body, living within the waters, cometh out agitating the lake exceedingly. And seeing him, the elephant, with trunk in a curl, goeth into the water. And endued with great energy, with motion of his tusks, of fore-part of his trunk, of tail, and of feet, he agitates the waters of the lake abounding with fishes. And the tortoise also of much strength, with upraised head, cometh forward for an encounter. And the elephant is six yojanas in height and twice that measure in circumference. And the height of the tortoise also is three yojanas and his circumference ten. Eat thou both of them, madly engaged in the encounter and bent upon slaying each other, and accomplish this business that thou desirest. Eating that fierce elephant,—looking like a huge mountain and resembling a mass of dark clouds, bring thou amrita.

Sauti continued, "And having said so unto Gadura, he (Kasyapa) blessed him then. 'Best be thou when thou art engaged with the gods in combat. Let pots filled to the brim, Brahmanas, kine, and what other auspicious objects there are, bless thee, O thou oviparous one. And O thou of great strength, when thou art engaged with the gods in combat, let the Richas, the Yajus, the Samas, the sacred sacrificial butter, all the mysteries (of the Vedas), and all the Vedas, be thy strength.'

"And Gadura, thus addressed by his father, wended to the side of that lake. And he saw that expanse of clear water with birds of various kinds all around. And remembering the words of his father, that ranger of the skies possessed of great swiftness of motion seized the elephant and the tortoise, one in each claw. And that bird then soared high into the air. And he came upon a sacred place called Alamva and saw