Shaunaka said: -
1. O child, you have told us of many greatly powerful and unconquerable serpents. What did they do after hearing of the curse?
Souti said: -
2. Illustrious and famous Shesha, having left (his mother) Kadru, practised austere penances, living on air and rigidly observing vows.
3. He practised his penances, going to Gandhamadana, Vadari, Gokarna, the forest of Pushkara and the foot of the Himalayas.
4. He passed his days in these sacred places, rigidly observing his vows, completely controlling his passions and concentratinghis mind.
5. The Grandsire saw him with knotted hair, clad in rags, his flesh, skin and sinews dried up owing to the austere penances be was practising.
6. The Grandsire, addressing that penance-practising ascetic, said, “O Shesha, what are you doing? Let the welfare of the worlds also engage your thoughts.
7. O sinless one, you are giving pain to all creatures by your austere penances. O Shesha, tell me the desire of your mind.”
Shesha said: -
8. My brothers are all of wicked hearts. I do not wish to live with them. Kindly sanction this.
9. They are jealous of one another like great enemies. I am, therefore, engaged in penances. I shall not even see them.
10. They never show any kindness for Vinata and her son, who is our other brother, the bird of the air.
11. They always envy him. He too is much stronger than (all of us), owing to the boon granted by our father, the illustrious and noble Kashyapa.
12. Therefore, I am practising penances, and I shall cast off this body of mine, so that I may not live with them even in another life.
Souti said: —
13. When Shesha thus smite, die Grandsire told, him, “O Shesha, know the character of your brothers.”
14. (And i know also) their great danger owing to their offence against their mother. O snake, a remedy has been already provided by me.
15. You should not grieve for your brothers. O Shesha, whatever you desire to possess, ask it from me.
16. I am highly pleased with you and I shall grant you a boon to-day. O best of snakes, it is very good that your heart has been set on virtue. Let your heart be more and more firmly set on virtue.”
Shesha said: —
17. O divihe Grandsire, O lord of all, I ask this born,—let my heart always delight in virtue and in blessed penances.
Brahma said: -
18. O Shesha, I am highly pleased with your self-denial and love of peace. By my command let the following act be done by you for the good of all creatures.
19. Bearing properly and well, this earth which is so very unsteady, towns retreats and seas, with all her mountains and forests with her O Shesha, remain in the way as she may be steady.
Shesha said: —
20. O divine lord of all creatures, O granter of boons, O lord of the earth, O the lord of every created thing, O the lord of the universe, I shall hold the earth steady, as you command. O Prajapati, place it upon my head.
Brahma said: -
21. O best of snakes, go underneath the earth. She herself will make a passage for you. O Shesha, you will certainly do what is highly valued by me by holding the earth (on your head.)
Souti said: -
22. The elder brother of the king of the snakes, entering into a hole, went to the other side of the earth. He held that goddess (earth) with her belt of seas all around her.
Brahma said: —
23. O Shesha, O best of snakes, you Are the Dharma, because you hold the earth alone with your huge body, with everything on her, what I myself and Indra can do.
Souti said: —
24. Thus does the snake, Shesha, the greatly powerful lord Ananta, live underneath the earth, alone supporting the world at the command of Brahma.
25. Then the Grandsire, the illustrious lord of the immortals gave Suparna (Garuda), the son off Vinata as Ananta’s help.
Thus ends the thirty sixth chapter, Astika, in the Adi Parva.