Souti said: -
1. O Souti, once more relate to us in detail the history of the learned and virtuous Astika. Great is our curiosity to hoar it.
2. O gentle one, you speak very sweetly with proper accent and emphasis. We are very much pleased with your speech. You speak like your (late) father.
3. Your father was always ready to please us. Tell us, therefore, the story that your father had related.
Souti said: -
4. O long-lived ones, I shall narrate the story of Astika as I heard it from my father.
5. O Brahmana, in the golden age, Prajapati had two fair daughters. O sinless one, the two sisters were endued with great beauty.
6. They were named Kadru and Vinata, and they were the wives of Kashyapa. Their husband, who was like Prajapati, having been pleased with him, gave each a boon.
7. Kashyapa derived much happiness from his wives. Hearing that their husband Kashyapa was willing to bestow on them boons.
8. The most beautiful damsels felt a transport of joy. Kadru wished to have one thousand snakes as her sons, all of equal splendour.
9. Vinata asked for two sons, equal to all the sons of Kadru in strength, energy, size and prowess.
10. On Kadru did her husband bestow the boon of the multitude of sons; and to Vinata he said, “Be it so.”
11. Vinata, having got the boon, was much pleased, and having obtained two greatly powerful sons, he regarded her boon granted.
12. Kadru also obtained one thousand sons, all of equal splendour. “Bear the embryos carefully.” So saying the great ascetic Kashyapa went into the forest, leaving his two wives much gratified with his boons.
Souti said: -
13. O best of Brahmanas, after a long time Kadru gave birth to one thousand eggs and Vinata two eggs.
14. Their maidservants kept them separately in warm vessels, and thus five hundred years passed away.
15. After five hundred years, the sons of Kadru came out of the eggs, but Vinata’s eggs did not produce anything.
16. Thereupon the ascetic lady Vinata, feeling shame broke open one of the eggs, and saw her offspring,
17. As an embryo with the upper part developed, but the lower part undeveloped. Thereupon the child grew angry and cursed its mother, saying,
18. “O mother, as you have prematurely broken this egg, and did not allow my body to be fully developed, being jealous (of Kadru), you will have to serve as the slave (of that very Kadru).
19-20. O mother, if you wait with patience five thousand years and do not des¬ troy the other egg, the illustrious child within it will deliver you from your slavery.
21. O mother, If you are desirous of having your son strong, take tender care of the egg for five thousand years.
22-23. Thus cursing his mother Vinata; the child rose to the sky. O Brahmana, Aruna (this child) became the charioteer of the Sun, and he is to be seen in the hour of the rooming. At the stipulated time was also born the snake-eater Garuda.
24. As soon as he was born, he left his mother, and the king of the birds, being hungry, mounted on his wings to seek for the food assigned to him by the great Ordainer.
Thus ends the sixteenth chapter, Astika, in the Adi Parva.