“On the other hand, the Danavas, white as the clouds from which the rain hath dropped, possessing great strength and bold hearts, ascended the sky, and by hurling down thousands of mountains, continually harassed the gods.  And those dreadful mountains, like masses of clouds, with their trees and flat tops, falling from the sky, collided with one another and produced a tremendous roar.  And when thousands of warriors shouted without intermission in the field of battle and mountains with the woods thereon began to fall around, the earth with her forests trembled.  Then the divine Nara appeared at the scene of the dreadful conflict between the Asuras and the Ganas (the followers of Rudra), and reducing to dust those rocks by means of his gold-headed arrows, he covered the heavens with dust.  Thus discomfited by the gods, and seeing the furious discus scouring the fields of heaven like a blazing flame, the mighty Danavas entered the bowels of the earth, while others plunged into the sea of salt-waters.

“And having gained the victory, the gods offered due respect to Mandara and placed him again on his own base.  And the nectar-bearing gods made the heavens resound with their shouts, and went to their own abodes.  And the gods, on returning to the heavens, rejoiced greatly, and Indra and the other deities made over to Narayana the vessel of Amrita for careful keeping.’”

And so ends the nineteenth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.

SECTION XX

(Astika Parva continued)

“Sauti said, ’Thus have I recited to you the whole story of how Amrita was churned out of the Ocean, and the occasion on which the horse Uchchaihsravas of great beauty and incomparable prowess was obtained.  It was this horse about which Kadru asked Vinata, saying, ’Tell me, amiable sister, without taking much time, of what colour Uchchaishravas is.’  And Vinata answered, ’That prince of steeds is certainly white.  What dost thou think, sister?  Say thou what is its colour.  Let us lay a wager upon it.’  Kadru replied, then, ’O thou of sweet smiles.  I think that horse is black in its tail.  Beauteous one, bet with me that she who loseth will become the other’s slave.’

’Sauti continued, ’Thus wagering with each other about menial service as a slave, the sisters went home, and resolved to satisfy themselves by examining the horse next day.  And Kadru, bent upon practising a deception, ordered her thousand sons to transform themselves into black hair and speedily cover the horse’s tail in order that she might not become a slave.  But her sons, the snakes, refusing to do her bidding, she cursed them, saying, ’During the snake-sacrifice of the wise king Janamejaya of the Pandava race, Agni shall consume you all.’  And the Grandsire (Brahman) himself heard this exceedingly cruel curse pronounced by Kadru, impelled by the fates.  And seeing that the snakes had multiplied exceedingly,