the histories, and other authoritative writings, it is said that Brahmanas, who are the souls of all creatures, who are the creators of all things, and who are identifiable with all existent objects, sprang from the mouth of Narayana.  Indeed, it is said that the Brahmans first came at the time when the great boon-giving god had restrained his speech as a penance and the other orders have originated from the Brahmanas.  The Brahmanas are distinguished above the deities and Asuras, since they were created by myself in my indescribable form as Brahma.  As I have created the deities and the Asuras and the great Rishis so I have placed the Brahmanas in their respective situations and have to punish them occasionally.  In consequence of his licentious assault on Ahalya, Indra was cursed by Gautama, her husband, through which Indra got a green beard on his face.  Through that curse of Kausika Indra lost, also, his own testicles, which loss was afterwards (through the kindness of the other deities) made up by the substitution of the testicles of a ram.  When in the sacrifice of king Sarjiati, the great Rishi Chyavana became desirous of making the twin Aswins sharers of the sacrificial offerings, Indra objected.  Upon Chyavana insisting, Indra sought to hurl his thunderbolt at him.  The Rishi paralysed Indra’s arms.  Incensed at the destruction of his sacrifice by Rudra, Daksha once more set himself to the practice of severe austerities and attaining to high puissance caused something like a third eye to appear on the forehead of Rudra for the destruction of Tripurasura.[1858] When Rudra addressed himself for the destruction of the triple city belonging to the Asuras, the preceptor of the Asuras, viz., Usanas, provoked beyond endurance, tore a matted lock from his own head and hurled it at Rudra.  From that matted lock of Usanas sprang many serpents.  Those serpents began to bite Rudra, at which his throat became blue.  During a bygone period, viz., that connected with the Self-born Manu,[1859] it is said that Narayana had seized Rudra by the throat and hence did Rudra’s throat become blue.  On the occasion of churning the Ocean for raising the amrita, Vrihaspati of Angiras race sat on the shores of the Ocean for performing the rite of Puruscharana.  When he took up a little water for the purpose of the initial achamana, the water seemed to him to be very muddy.  At this Vrihaspati became angry and cursed the Ocean, saying,—­Since thou continuest to be so dirty regardless of the fact of my having come to thee for touching thee, since thou hast not become clear and transparent, therefore from this day thou shalt be tainted with fishes and sharks and tortoises and other aquatic animals.  From that time, the waters of the ocean have become infested with diverse kinds of sea-animals and monsters.  Viswarupa, the son of Tashtri, formerly became the priest of the deities.  He was, on his mother’s side, related to the Asuras, for his mother was the daughter