And the gods wore curious breastplates of gold, of great value, and set
with gems, and bright leathern armour of great toughness. And the mighty
deities wielded various sharp-edged weapons of terrible shapes, countless
in number, emitting, even all of them, sparks of fire with smoke. And they
were also armed with many a discus and iron mace furnished with spikes,
and trident, battle-axe, and various kinds of sharp-pointed missiles and
polished swords and maces of terrible form, all befitting their respective
bodies. And decked with celestial ornaments and resplendent with those
bright arms, the gods waited there, their fears allayed. And the gods, of
incomparable strength, energy, and splendour, resolved to protect the
amrita. Capable of splitting the towns of the Asuras, all displayed
themselves in forms resplendent as the fire. And in consequence of the
gods standing there, that (would be) battle-field, owing to hundreds of
thousands of maces furnished with iron spikes, shone like another
firmament illumined by the rays of the Sun.'"
So ends the thirtieth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.
SECTION XXXI
(Astika Parva continued)
"Saunaka said, 'O son of Suta, what was Indra's fault, what his act of
carelessness? How was Garuda born in consequence of the ascetic penances
of the Valakhilyas? Why also Kasyapa--a Brahman--had the king of birds for
a son? Why, too, was he invincible of all creatures and unslayable of all?
Why also was that ranger of the skies capable of going into every place at
will and of mustering at will any measure of energy? If these are
described in the Purana, I should like to hear them.
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