# The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section XXIX

Section XXIX. ( Astika Parva continued. )
Sauti continued, "A certain Brahmana with his wife had entered the throat of the ranger of the skies. And the former thereupon began to burn the bird's throat like flaming charcoal. And him Gadura addressed, saying, 'O thou best of Brahmanas, come out soon from my mouth which I open for thee. A Brahmana must never be slain by me although he may be always engaged in sinful practices.' And to Gadura who had thus addressed him, that Brahmana said, 'O let this woman of the Nishada caste who is my wife come out with me!' And Gadura said, 'Taking the woman also of the Nishada caste with thee, come out soon. Save thyself without delay inasmuch as thou hast not yet been digested by the heat of my stomach.'"
Sauti continued, "And then that Brahmana accompanied by his wife of the Nishada caste came out, and eulogising Gadura wended whithersoever he liked. And upon that Brahmana coming out with his wife, that lord of birds, fleet as the mind, stretching his wings ascended the skies. And he then saw his father; and hailed by him, Gadura of incomparable prowess made proper answers. And the great Rishi (Kasyapa) then asked him, 'O child, is it well with thee? Dost thou get sufficient food every day? Is there food in plenty for thee in the world of men?'
"And Gadura replied, 'My mother is ever well. And so my brother, and so am I. But, father, I do not always obtain plenty of food for which my peace is incomplete. I am sent by the snakes to fetch the excellent amrita (Soma). And, ​indeed, I shall fetch it to-day for emanciapating my mother from her bondage. My mother had commanded me, saying,—Eat thou the Nishadas.—I have eaten them by thousands but my hunger is not appeased. Therefore, O worshipful one, point out to me some other food, by eating which, O master, I may be strong enough to bring away amrita by force. Thou shouldst indicate some food wherewith I may appease my hunger and thirst.'
"And Kasyapa replied, 'This lake thou seest is very sacred. It hath been heard of even in the heavens. There an elephant with face downwards doth continually drag a tortoise his elder brother. I shall speak to you in detail of their hostility in former life. I will tell you in full of their enmity in another life. Hear from me the truth, in proof whereof are they both (in this place.)
"'There was of old a great Rishi of the name of Vibhavasu. He was exceedingly wrathful. He had a younger brother of the name of Supritika who also was a great ascetic. And the great sage Supritika was averse to keep his wealth joint with his brother's. And Supritika would always speak of partition. After a certain time his brother Vibhavasu told Supritika,—It is from great foolishness that persons blinded by love of wealth always desire to make a partition of their patrimony. And after effecting a partition they fight with each other. Then again, enemies in the guise of friends cause an estrangement between ignorant and selfish men after they become separated in their wealth; and pointing out faults confirm their quarrels so that they soon fall one by one. And downright ruin very soon overtakes the separated. For these reasons, the wise never speak well of partition amongst brothers who when divided regard not the most authoritative Shastras and are always in fear of each other. But as thou Supritika, without regarding my advice, impelled by desire of separation always wishest to make an arrangement about your property, thou must become an elephant.—And Supritika, thus cursed, then spake unto Vibhavasu:—Thou also must become a tortoise moving in the interior of the waters.—
"'And thus on account of wealth those two fools, Supritika ​and Vibhavasu, from each other's curse, have become an elephant and a tortoise. Owing to their wrath, they have both become inferior animals. And they are engaged in hostilities with each other, proud of their excessive strength and the weight of their bodies. And in this lake those two of huge bodies are engaged in acts according to their former hostility. The other amongst them, the handsome elephant of huge body, is even now approaching. And hearing his roar, the tortoise also of huge body, living within the waters, cometh out agitating the lake exceedingly. And seeing him, the elephant, with trunk in a curl, goeth into the water. And endued with great energy, with motion of his tusks, of fore-part of his trunk, of tail, and of feet, he agitates the waters of the lake abounding with fishes. And the tortoise also of much strength, with upraised head, cometh forward for an encounter. And the elephant is six yojanas in height and twice that measure in circumference. And the height of the tortoise also is three yojanas and his circumference ten. Eat thou both of them, madly engaged in the encounter and bent upon slaying each other, and accomplish this business that thou desirest. Eating that fierce elephant,—looking like a huge mountain and resembling a mass of dark clouds, bring thou amrita.'"
Sauti continued, "And having said so unto Gadura, he (Kasyapa) blessed him then. 'Best be thou when thou art engaged with the gods in combat. Let pots filled to the brim, Brahmanas, kine, and what other auspicious objects there are, bless thee, O thou oviparous one. And O thou of great strength, when thou art engaged with the gods in combat, let the Richas, the Yajus, the Samas, the sacred sacrificial butter, all the mysteries (of the Vedas), and all the Vedas, be thy strength.'
"And Gadura, thus addressed by his father, wended to the side of that lake. And he saw that expanse of clear water with birds of various kinds all around. And remembering the words of his father, that ranger of the skies possessed of great swiftness of motion seized the elephant and the tortoise, one in each claw. And that bird then soared high into the air. And he came upon a sacred place called Alamva and saw ​many divine trees. And struck by the wind raised by his wings, those trees began to shake with fear. And those divine trees growing on golden summits feared that they would break. And the ranger of the skies seeing that those trees capable of granting every wish were quaking with fear, went to other trees of incomparable appearance. And those gigantic trees were adorned with fruits of gold and silver and branches of precious gems. And they were washed with the waters of the sea. And there was a large banian among them grown into gigantic proportions, that then spoke unto that lord of birds while coursing towards it fleet as the mind: 'Sit thou on this large branch of mine extending a hundred yojanas and eat thou the elephant and the tortoise.' And when that best of birds of great swiftness, and of body resembling a mountain, quickly alighted, that banian, the resort of thousands of birds, shook and that branch also full of leaves broke."
And so ends the twenty-ninth Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.