SECTION XIV
"Salya said, 'Then the goddess of Divination stood near that chaste and
beautiful lady. And having beheld that goddess, youthful and lovely,
standing before her, Indra's queen, glad at heart, paid respects to them
and said, 'I desire to know who you art, O you of lovely face.' And
Divination said, 'I am Divination, O goddess, come near thee. Since thou
art truthful, therefore, O high-minded lady, do I appear in your sight.
Since you are devoted to your lord, employed in controlling thyself, and
engaged in the practice of religious rites, I shall show you the god
Indra, the slayer of Vritra. Quickly come after me, so may good betide
thee! Thou shalt see that best of gods.' Then Divination proceeded and
the divine queen of Indra went after her. And she crossed the heavenly
groves, and many mountains; and then having crossed the Himavat
mountains, she came to its northern side. And having reached the sea,
extending over many yojanas, she came upon a large island covered with
various trees and plants. And there she saw a beautiful lake, of heavenly
appearance, covered with birds, eight hundred miles in length, and as
many in breadth. And upon it, O descendant of Bharata, were full-blown
lotuses of heavenly appearance, of five colours, hummed round by bees,
and counting by thousands. And in the middle of that lake, there was a
large and beautiful assemblage of lotuses having in its midst a large
white lotus standing on a lofty stalk. And penetrating into the
lotus-stalk, along with Sachi, she saw Indra there who had entered into
its fibres. And seeing her lord lying there in a minute form, Sachi also
assumed a minute form, so did the goddess of divination too. And Indra's
queen began to glorify him by reciting his celebrated deeds of yore. And
thus glorified, the divine Purandara spoke to Sachi, 'For what purpose
hast you come? How also have I been found out?' Then the goddess spoke
of the acts of Nahusha. And she said, 'O performer of a hundred
sacrifices, having obtained the sovereignty of the three worlds, powerful
and haughty and of a vicious soul, he hath commanded me to visit him, and
the cruel wretch hath even assigned me a definite time. If you wilt not
protect me, O lord, he will bring me under his power. For this reason, O
Indra, have I come to you in alarm. O you of powerful arms, slay the
terrible Nahusha of vicious soul. Discover thyself, O slayer of Daityas
and Danavas. O lord, assume your own strength and rule the celestial
kingdom.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 14 ---------------------
