the Grandsire, moved by kind consideration for his creatures, sanctioned with all the gods this curse of Kadru.  Indeed, as the snakes were of virulent poison, great prowess and excess of strength, and ever bent on biting other creatures, their mother’s conduct towards them—­those persecutors of all creatures,—­was very proper for the good of all creatures.  Fate always inflicts punishment of death on those who seek the death of other creatures.  The gods, having exchanged such sentiments with one another, supported Kadru’s action (and went away).  And Brahman, calling Kasyapa to him, spake unto him these words, ’O thou pure one who overcomest all enemies, these snakes begotten by you, who are of virulent poison and huge bodies, and ever intent on biting other creatures, have been cursed by their mother.  O son, do not grieve for it in the least.  The destruction of the snakes in the sacrifice hath, indeed, been ordained long ago’ Saying this, the divine Creator of the Universe comforted Kasyapa and imparted to that illustrious one the knowledge of neutralising poison.”

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

SECTION XXI

(Astika Parva continued)

“Sauti said.  ’Then when the night had passed away and the sun had risen in the morning, O thou whose wealth is asceticism, the two sisters Kadru and Vinata, having laid a wager about slavery, went with haste and impatience to view the steed Uchchaishravas from a near point.  On their way they saw the Ocean, that receptacle of waters, vast and deep, rolling and tremendously roaring, full of fishes large enough to swallow the whale, and abounding with huge makaras and creatures of various forms by thousands, and rendered inaccessible by the presence of other terrible, monster-shaped, dark, and fierce aquatic animals, abounding with tortoises and crocodiles, the mine of all kinds of gems, the home of Varuna (the water-God), the excellent and beautiful residence of the Nagas, the lord of all rivers, the abode of the subterranean fire, the friend (or asylum) of the Asuras, the terror of all creatures, the grand reservoir of water, and ever immutable.  It is holy, beneficial to the gods, and is the great source of nectar; without limits, inconceivable, sacred, and highly wonderful.  It is dark, terrible with the sound of aquatic creatures, tremendously roaring, and full of deep whirl-pools.  It is an object of terror to all creatures.  Moved by the winds blowing from its shores and heaving high, agitated and disturbed, it seems to dance everywhere with uplifted hands represented by its surges.  Full of swelling billows caused by the waxing and waning of the moon the parent of Vasudeva’s great conch called Panchajanya, the great mine of gems, its waters were formerly disturbed in consequence of the agitation caused within them by the Lord Govinda of immeasurable prowess when he had assumed the form of a wild boar