SECTION 16
(Astika Parva continued)
"Saunaka said, 'O Sauti, relate once more in detail this
history of the learned and virtuous Astika. Our curiosity for hearing it is
great. Thou speakest sweetly, with proper accent and emphasis; and we are
well-pleased with thy speech. Thou speakest even as thy father. Thy sire was
ever ready to please us. Tell us now the story as thy father had related it.'
"Sauti said, 'O thou that art blest with longevity, I shall
narrate the history of Astika as I heard it from my father. O Brahmana, in the
golden age, Prajapati had two daughters. The sisters were endowed with
wonderful beauty. Named Kadru and Vinata, they became the wives of Kasyapa.
Kasyapa derived great pleasure from his two wedded wives and being gratified
he, resembling Prajapati himself, offered to give each of them a boon. Hearing
that their lord was willing to confer on them their choice blessings, those
excellent ladies felt transports of joy. Kadru wished to have for sons a
thousand snakes all of equal splendour. And Vinata wished to bring forth two
sons surpassing the thousand offsprings of Kadru in strength, energy, size of
body, and prowess. Unto Kadru her lord gave that boon about a multitude of
offspring. And unto Vinata also, Kasyapa said, 'Be it so!' Then Vinata, having;
obtained her prayer, rejoiced greatly. Obtaining two sons of superior prowess,
she regarded her boon fulfilled. Kadru also obtained her thousand sons of equal
splendour. 'Bear the embryos carefully,' said Kasyapa, and then he went into
the forest, leaving his two wives pleased with his blessings.'
"Sauti continued, 'O best of regenerate ones, after a long
time, Kadru brought forth a thousand eggs, and Vinata two. Their maid-servants deposited
the eggs separately in warm vessels. Five hundred years passed away, and the
thousand eggs produced by Kadru burst and out came the progeny. But the twins
of Vinata did not appear. Vinata was jealous, and therefore she broke one of
the eggs and found in it an embryo with the upper part developed but the lower
one undeveloped. At this, the child in the egg became angry and cursed his
mother, saying. 'Since thou hast prematurely broken this egg, thou shall serve
as a slave. Shouldst thou wait five hundred years and not destroy, or render
the other egg half-developed, by breaking it through impatience, then the
illustrious child within it will deliver thee from slavery! And if thou wouldst
have
the child strong, thou must take tender care of the egg for all
this time!' Thus cursing his mother, the child rose to the sky. Even he is the
charioteer of Surya, always seen in the hour of morning!
"Then at the expiration of the five hundred years, bursting
open the other egg, out came Garuda, the serpent-eater. Immediately on seeing
the light, that son of Vinata left his mother. And the lord of birds, feeling
hungry, took wing in quest of the food assigned to him by the Great Ordainer of
all.".
So ends the sixteenth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi
Parva.
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