SECTION XV
"Salya said, 'Thus addressed by Sachi, the illustrious god said to her
again, 'This is not the time for putting forth valour. Nahusha is
stronger than I am. O beautiful lady, he hath been strengthened by the
Rishis with the merits of offerings to the gods and the Pitris. I shall
have recourse to policy now. Thou wilt have to carry it out, O goddess. O
lady, you must do it secretly and must not disclose it to any person. O
lady of a beautiful waist, going to Nahusha in private, tell him, O lord
of the Universe, you must visit me mounted on a nice vehicle borne by
Rishis. In that case I shall be pleased and shall place myself at thy
disposal. This shouldst you tell him.' And thus addressed by the king of
the gods, his lotus-eyed consort expressed her consent and went to
Nahusha. And Nahusha, having seen her, smilingly addressed her, saying,
'I welcome thee, O lady of lovely thighs. What is your pleasure, O you of
sweet smiles. Accept me, O lady of propitious looks, who am devoted to
thee. What is your will, O spirited dame. I shall do your wish, O lady of
propitious looks and slender waist. Nor needst you be bashful, O you of
lovely hips. Have trust in me. In the name of truth I swear, O goddess,
that I shall do your bidding.'
"Sachi said, 'O lord of Universe, I wanted the time that you hast
assigned to me. Thereafter, O lord of the gods, you shalt be my husband.
I have a wish. Attend and hear, O king of the gods. What it is I shall
say, O king, so that you mayst do what I like. This is an indulgence
that I ask from your love for me. If you grantest it, I shall be at thy
disposal. Indra had horses for carrying him, and elephants, and cars. I
want you to have, O king of the gods, a novel vehicle, such as never
belonged to Vishnu, or Rudra, or the Asuras, or the Rakshasas, O lord.
Let a number of highly dignified Rishis, united together, bear you in a
palanquin. This is what commends itself to me. Thou shouldst not liken
thyself to the Asuras or the gods. Thou absorbest the strength of all by
thy own strength as soon as they look at thee. There is none so strong as
to be able to stand before thee.'
"Salya continued, 'Thus addressed, Nahusha was very much pleased. And the
lord of the deities said to that lady of faultless features, 'O lady of
the fairest complexion, you hast spoken of a vehicle never heard of
before. I like it exceedingly, O goddess. I am in your power, O you of
lovely face. He cannot be a feeble person who employeth Rishis for
bearing him. I have practised austerities, and am mighty. I am the lord
of the past, the present, and the future. The Universe would be no more
if I were in rage. The whole Universe is established in me. O you of
sweet smiles, the gods, the Asuras and Gandharvas, and snakes, and
Rakshasas are together unable to cope with me when I am in rage.
Whomsoever I gaze upon I divest him of his energy. Therefore, your request
I shall no doubt fulfil, O goddess. The seven Rishis, and also the
regenerate Rishis, shall carry me. See our greatness and splendour, O
lady of lovely complexion.'
"Salya continued, 'Having thus addressed that goddess of lovely face, and
having dismissed her thus, he harnessed to his heavenly car a number of
saints devoted to the practice of austerities. A disregarder of
Brahmanas, endued with power and intoxicated with pride, capricious, and
of vicious soul, he employed those saints to carry him. Meanwhile,
dismissed by Nahusha, Sachi went to Vrihaspati and said, 'But little
remaineth of the term assigned by Nahusha to me. But compassionate unto
me who respect you so, and quickly find out Indra.'
"The illustrious Vrihaspati then said to her, 'Very good, you needst
not, O goddess, fear, Nahusha of vicious soul. Surely, he shall not long
retain his power. The wretch, in fact, is already gone, being regardless
of virtue and because, O lovely dame, of his employing the great saints
to carry him. And I shall perform a sacrifice for the destruction of this
vicious wretch, and I shall find out Indra. Thou needst not fear. Fare
thee well.' And Vrihaspati of great power then kindled a fire in the
prescribed form, and put the very best offerings upon it in order to
ascertain where the king of the gods was. And having put his offerings, O
king, he said to the Fire, 'Search out Indra.' And there upon that
revered god, the eater of burnt offerings, assumed of his own accord a
wonderful feminine form and vanished from sight at that very spot. And
endued with speed of the mind, he searched everywhere, mountains and
forests, earth and sky, and came back to Vrihaspati within the twinkling
of the eye. And Agni said, Vrihaspati, nowhere in these places do I find
the king of the gods. The waters alone remain to be searched. I am always
backward in entering the waters. I have no ingress therein. O Brahmana,
what I am to do for thee.' The preceptor of the gods then said to him, 'O
illustrious god, do you enter the water.'
"Agni said, 'I cannot enter the water. Therein it is extinction that
awaits me. I place myself in your hand, O you of great effulgence. Mayst
thou fare well! Fire rose from water, the military caste rose from the
priestly caste; and iron had its origin in stone. The power of these
which can penetrate all other things, hath no operation upon the sources
from which they spring.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 15 ---------------------
