through the skies. And as he soared with the elephant and the tortoise (in his claws), he beheld various regions underneath. Desiring as he did to save the Valakbiiyas, he saw not a spot whereon to sit.. At last he went to that fore most of mountains called Gandhamadana. There he saw his father Kasya pa engaged in ascetic devotions. Kasyapa also saw his son, that ranger of the skies, of divine form, possessed of great splendour, and energy and strength, and endued with speed of the wind or the mind, huge as a mountain peak, a ready smiter like the curse of a Brahmana, inconceivable, indescribable, frightful to all creatures, possessed of great prowess, terrible, of the splendour of Agni himself, and incapable of being overcome by the deities, Danavas, and invincible Rakshasas, capable of splitting mountain summits and sucking the ocean itself and destroying the three worlds, Gerce, and looking like Yama bimself. The iluustrious Kasyapa, seeing bim approach and knowing also his motive, spoke unto him these words."
M "Kasyapa said.-'O child, do not commit a rash act, for then thou wouldst have to suffer pain! The Valakhilyas, supporting themselves by drinking the rays of the sun, might, if angry, blast thee 1" si
Sauti continued, "Kasyapa then propitiated, for the sake of his son, the Valabhilyas of exceeding good fortune and whose sins had been destroyed by ascetic penances. And Kasya pa said, 'Ye whose wealth is asceticism, the essay of Garuda is for the good of all creatures 1 The task is great that he is striving to accomplish! It behoveth you to accord him your permission I
Sauti continued.--"Those ascetics thus addressed by the illustrious Kasyapa, abandoned that bough and went to the sacred mountain of Himavat for purposes of ascetic penances. After those Rishis had gone away, the son of Vinata, with voice obstructed by the bough in his beaks, asked his father Kasyapa saying-'O illustrious one, where shall I throw this arm of the tree? O illustrious one, indicate to me some region with out human beings !" Then Kasya pa spoke of a mountain without human beings with caves and dales always covered with snow and incapable of approach by ordinary creatures even in thought. And the great bird bearing that branch, that elephant, and that tortoise, proceeded with great speed towards that mountain. The great arm of the tree with which that bird of huge body flew away could not be girt round with a cord made of a hundred (cow) hides. Garuda, the lord of birds, then flew away for hundred thousands of yojanas within the shortest time. And going according to the directions of his father to that mountain almost in a moment, that ranger of the skies let fall the gigantic bough. And it fell with a great noise. And that Prince of mountains shook, struck with the storm raised by Garuda's wings. And che trees thereon
