ASTIKA PARVA: Chapter 24

Story of Garuda

सौतिरुवाच स श्रुत्वाऽथात्मनो देहं सुपर्णः प्रेक्ष्य च स्वयम्। शरीरप्रतिसंहारमात्मनः संप्रचक्रमे॥
Sauti said : Having heard (of the hugeness of his body) and seeing it himself, he began to diminish his body.

सुपर्ण उवाच न मे सर्वाणि भूतानि बिभियुर्देहदर्शनात्। भीमरूपात्समुद्विग्नास्तस्मात्तेजस्तु संहरे॥
Garuda said: No one need be afraid of seeing my body. As you are also very much frightened at its sight, I shall diminish it.

सौतिरुवाच ततः कामगम: पक्षी कामवीर्यो विहंगमः। अरुणं चात्मनः पृष्ठमारोप्य स पितुर्ग्रहात्॥ मातुरन्तिकमागच्छत्परं तीरं महोदधेः। तत्रारुणश्च निक्षिप्तो दिशं पूर्वां महाद्युतिः॥ सूर्यस्तेजोभिरत्युप्रैर्लोकान्दग्धुमना यदा।
Sauti said: Then the bird, capable of going every where at will and of calling all energy at will, placing his brother Aruna on his back, went from his father's house to that of his mother, (which was situated) on the other side of the ocean. He placed in the East Aruna of great splendour when the sun determined to burn the world with its fearful rays.

रुरुरुवाच किमर्थं भगवान्सूर्यो लोकान्दग्धुमनास्तदा। किमस्यापहृतं देवैयेनमं मन्युराविशत्॥
Ruru said: What for did the highly noble sun resolve to burn the world? What wrongs were done to him by the celestials, that he grew angry?

प्रमतिरुवाच चन्द्रादित्यैर्यदा राहुराख्यातो ह्यमृतं पिबन्। वैरानुबन्धं कृतवांश्चन्द्रादित्ये तदाऽनघ॥
Sauti said: sinless one, from the day on which Rahu was discovered by Surya and Chandra in the act of drinking the Ambrosia, he bore a deadly enmity towards them.

वध्यमाने ग्रहेणाथ आदित्ये मन्युराविशत्। सुरार्थाय समुत्पन्नो रोषो राहोस्तु मां प्रति॥
When Rahu began to devour Surya, he became angry and thought. “This enmity of Rahu has risen from my benefiting the celestials,

बबनर्थकरं पापमेकोऽहं समवाप्नुयाम्। सहाय एव कार्येषु च कृच्छ्रेषु दृश्यते॥
And I am alone to suffer from this great evil; I do not get any help at my this difficulty.

पश्यन्ति ग्रस्यमानं मां सहन्ते वै दिवौकसः। तस्माल्लोकविनाशार्थं ह्यवतिष्ठे न संशयः॥
The inhabitants of the celestial regions (unconcernedly) see me devoured and they quietly brook it. Therefore, I must make an attempt to destroy the worlds. There is no doubt about it.

एवं कृतमति: सूर्यो ह्यस्तमभ्यगमद्गिरिम्। तस्माल्लोकविनाशाय संतापयत भास्करः॥
With this resolution Surya went to the western mountains and from that place began to scatter his scorching rays to destroy the worlds.

ततो देवानुपागम्य प्रोचुरेवं महर्षयः। अद्यार्धरात्रसमये सर्वलोकभयावहः॥ उत्पत्स्यते महान्दाहस्त्रैलोक्यस्य विनाशनः।
Thereupon the great Rishis, came to the celestials and said; “Today in the middle of the night, a fire, fearful to all creatures, will rise to destroy the universe."

ततो देवाः सर्षिगणा उपगम्य पितामहम्॥ अब्रुवन्किमिवेहाद्य महद्दाहकृतं भयम्।
Then the celestials with the Rishis went to the Grandsire (Brahma) and said, "What is this great and fearful heat today?"

न तावद् दृश्यते सूर्यः क्षयोऽयं प्रतिभाति च। उदिते भगवद्भानौ कथमेतद्भविष्यति॥
The sun has not as yet risen, still destruction of the world is obvious. What will happen when he rises?

पितामह उवाच एष लोकविनाशाय रविरुद्यन्तुमुद्यतः। दृश्यन्नेव हि लोकान्स भस्मराशीकरिष्यति॥
Brahma said: The sun is ready to rise in order to destroy the worlds. As soon as he will rise he will burn everything into ashes.

तस्य प्रतिविधानं च विहितं पूर्वमेव हि॥
I have, however, provided the remedy beforehand.

कश्यपस्य सुतो धीमानरुणेत्यभिविश्रुतः। महाकायो महातेजाः स स्थास्यति पुरो रवेः॥ करिष्यति च सारथ्यं तेजश्चास्य हरिष्यति। लोकानां स्वस्ति चैवं स्यादृषीणां च दिवौकसाम्।।
The wise son of Kashyapa, known by the name of Aruna, has a huge body. He will sit before the sun as his charioteer and will take energy. This will secure the good of the world, of the Rishis and of the celestials.

प्रमतिरुवाच ततः पितामहाज्ञातः सर्वं चक्रे तदाऽरुणः। उदितश्चैव सविता ह्यरुणेन समावृतः॥
Sauti said : away all his Thereupon Aruna, ordered by the Grandsire, did all that he was commanded to do. The sun rose covered by Aruna.

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्सूर्यं मन्युराविशत्। अरुणश्च यथैवास्य सारथ्यमकरोत्प्रभुः। भूय एवापरं प्रश्नं शृणु पूर्वमुदाहृतम्॥
I have told you why Surya was in anger and how Aruna was appointed his charioteer. Hear next, the reply to the other question, asked by you a little while ago.