Section XVIII.
( Astika Parva continued. )
Sauti said, "There is a mountain of name Mandara adorned with peaks like those of the clouds. It is the best of mountains, and is covered all over with intertwining herbs. There no end of birds pour forth their melody, and there beasts of prey roam about. The gods, the Apsaras, and the Kinnaras visit this place. Upwards it riseth eleven thousand yojanas, and descendeth downwards as much. The gods failed to tear it up and they came to Vishnu and Brahma who were sitting, and said, 'devise you some efficient scheme. Consider, ye gods, how Mandara may be upraised for our good."
Sauti continued, "And Vishnu, with Brahma, assented to it, O son of Bhrigu! And the lotus-eyed one laid the hard task on the mighty Ananta, the prince of Snakes. And the mighty Ananta, directed thereto both by Brahma and Narayana, O Brahmana, upraised that mountain with the woods thereon and with the dwellers of those woods. And the gods came to the shore of the Ocean with Ananta, and addressed the Ocean saying, 'O Ocean, we have come to churn thy waters for obtaining nectar.' And the Ocean replied, 'be it so, as I am to have a share of the nectar. I am able to bear the agitation of my waters by the mountain.' And the gods went to the king of the tortoises and said to him, 'O Tortoise-king, thou shalt have to hold the mountain on thy back.' The tortoise-king agreed, and Indra placed the mountain on the former's back by means of instruments.
"And the gods and the Asuras made Mandara their churning staff and Vasuki the cord, and set about churning the main for amrita. The Asuras held Vasuki by the hood and the gods by the tail. And Ananta who was for Narayana, at intervals raised the Snake's hood and suddenly lowered it. And in consequence of the friction he received at the hands of the gods and the Asuras, black vapours with flames issued out of his mouth which becoming clouds charged with lightning poured down showers to refresh the tired gods. And blossoms beginning to rain on all sides of the gods from the trees on the whirling Mandara, also refreshed them.
