Tales from the Indian Epics. Charles Augustus Kincaid
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Charles Augustus Kincaid
Tales from the Indian Epics
Published by Good Press, 2020
EAN 4064066064525
Table of Contents
KING JANAMEJAYA'S SNAKE SACRIFICE I
PREFACE
The favourable reception given by the Indian public to the "Indian Heroes" has led me to write a companion book. In the "Indian Heroes" I confined myself to the actual doings of the heroes themselves. In the "Tales from the Indian Epics" I have told a series of stories which are incidentally related in the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Eight of the following stories will be found either in the Adi Parva or the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata. "The Descent of the Ganges" will be found in the Ramayana Balam Kandam. To these I have added the tenth story, "The Tale of the Pole Star", from the Shrimadbhagvat.
TALES FROM THE INDIAN EPICS
THE CHURNING OF THE OCEAN
Once upon a time in the youth of the world there stood to the north of India a mighty mountain named Mount Meru. Its summit shone so brightly that the sun's rays, when they struck it, shivered and fell away. One day the lesser gods gathered in council upon its peak, for they wished to obtain the ambrosia which would make them immortal like the three supreme gods, Vishnu, Brahmadeva and Shiva. Now the jar in which the ambrosia was kept lay at the bottom of the ocean and none of the lesser gods could conceive a plan by which they could obtain possession of it. As they sat in council, there came to them the great god Vishnu, and the lesser gods asked him for his advice. Vishnu answered them, saying, "Call the demons to your aid and churn the ocean. When you have churned it, not only will you get the ambrosia, but you will get a great store of jewels and other precious things besides."
The lesser gods followed the counsel of Vishnu, left the summit of Mount Meru and withdrew to another great mountain named Mount Mandara. Its peak was not resplendent like that of Mount Meru. Its sides were covered with dense forests, through which roamed elephants and lions, tigers and leopards. The lesser gods seized the great mountain and tried to uproot it so that they might churn the ocean with it, as the Lord Vishnu had advised. But although they strove their utmost, the great mass of Mount Mandara moved not a hair's breadth. The celestials, finding their strength unequal to the task, sought out the great gods Vishnu and Brahmadeva. "Great lords," they said, "tell us, we pray you, how we may uproot Mandara Mountain, for without it we cannot churn the ocean and win the ambrosia." Lord Vishnu called to him Vasuki the king of the snake people and said to him, "O Snake King, the command that I lay upon you is this. Go with the lesser gods and help them uproot Mandara Mountain." Vasuki, the king of the snake people, obeyed Lord Vishnu, and going with the lesser gods to Mount Mandara, he fastened round it his endless coils. Then pressing them against the base of the mountain he tore it up by the roots. Together the Snake King and the lesser gods rolled the mountain to the shores of the ocean. "Lord Ocean," they said, "we desire the ambrosia which lies fathoms deep below your surface. And to win it we shall churn your water with the Mandara Mountain." "As you will," said the ocean. "Give me but a draught of the ambrosia and I will gladly allow you to churn my waters."
Hearing the words of the ocean the lesser gods were glad, and, as the Lord Vishnu had advised them, they bade the demons join them. Then gods and demons went together to the king of the tortoises. They found him in his palace and said to him. "O Tortoise King, come to our aid, we pray you. For we have resolved to churn the ocean with Mount Mandara that we may win the ambrosia. But if we place Mount Mandara on the bottom of the ocean it will sink into the sands. Come, therefore, O King of the Tortoises, and lie at the bottom of the ocean. For if you bear it on your mighty back, we shall be able to pull Mount Mandara to and fro and so churn the ocean." The Tortoise King consented, and with the gods and the demons walked to the shores of the ocean. When they had reached the edge of the water, the god Indra, the chief of the lesser gods, by means of many cunning instruments, placed Mount Mandara upon the back of the king of the tortoises. Bearing this mighty burden the king of the tortoises entered the ocean, and walked along its bottom until he reached the deepest part. Then Vasuki the Snake King swam out across the surface of the water until he reached the spot where the top of Mount Mandara stood high above the waves. Coiling himself round the great mountain he bade the lesser gods hold him by the tail and the demons hold his head. Demons and gods seized him as