And struck by the wind raised by his wings, those trees began to shake
with fear. And those divine trees having golden boughs feared that they
would break. And the ranger of the skies seeing that those trees capable
of granting every wish were quaking with fear, went to other trees of
incomparable appearance. And those gigantic trees were adorned with fruits
of gold and silver and branches of precious gems. And they were washed
with the water of the sea. And there was a large banian among them, which
had grown into gigantic proportions, that spoke unto that lord of bird
coursing towards it with the fleetness of the mind, 'Sit thou on this
large branch of mine extending a hundred yojanas and eat the elephant and
the tortoise.' When that best of birds, of great swiftness and of body
resembling a mountain, quickly alighted upon a bough of that banian tree,
the resort of thousands of winged creatures--that bough also full of
leaves shook and broke down.'"

So ends the twenty-ninth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.


SECTION XXX

(Astika Parva continued)

"Sauti said, 'At the very touch by Garuda of great might with his feet,
the branch of the tree broke as it was caught by Garuda. Casting his eyes
around in wonder he saw Valakhilya Rishis hanging therefrom with heads
downwards and engaged in ascetic penances. Reflecting that if that bough
fell down, the Rishis would be slain, the mighty one held the elephant and
the tortoise still more firmly with his claws. And from fear of slaying
the Rishis and desire of saving them, held that bough in his beaks, and
rose on his wings. The great Rishis were struck with wonder at the sight