And the nectar-bearing gods made the
heavens resound with their shouts, and went to their own abodes. And the
gods, on returning to the heavens, rejoiced greatly, and Indra and the
other deities made over to Narayana the vessel of Amrita for careful
keeping.'"
And so ends the nineteenth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.
SECTION XX
(Astika Parva continued)
"Sauti said, 'Thus have I recited to you the whole story of how Amrita was
churned out of the Ocean, and the occasion on which the horse
Uchchaihsravas of great beauty and incomparable prowess was obtained. It
was this horse about which Kadru asked Vinata, saying, 'Tell me, amiable
sister, without taking much time, of what colour Uchchaishravas is.' And
Vinata answered, 'That prince of steeds is certainly white. What dost thou
think, sister? Say thou what is its colour. Let us lay a wager upon it.'
Kadru replied, then, 'O thou of sweet smiles. I think that horse is black
in its tail. Beauteous one, bet with me that she who loseth will become
the other's slave.'
'Sauti continued, 'Thus wagering with each other about menial service as a
slave, the sisters went home, and resolved to satisfy themselves by
examining the horse next day. And Kadru, bent upon practising a deception,
ordered her thousand sons to transform themselves into black hair and
speedily cover the horse's tail in order that she might not become a slave.
But her sons, the snakes, refusing to do her bidding, she cursed them,
saying, 'During the snake-sacrifice of the wise king Janamejaya of the
Pandava race, Agni shall consume you all.
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