lied, 'This lake thou seest is sacred. It hath been heard, of
even in the heavens. There is an elephant, with face downwards, who
continually draggeth a tortoise, his elder brother. I shall speak to you
in detail of their hostility in former life. Just listen as I tell you
why they are here.

"There was of old a great Rishi of the name of Vibhavasu. He was
exceedingly wrathful. He had a younger brother of the name of Supritika.
The latter was averse to keeping his wealth jointly with his brother's.
And Supritika would always speak of partition. After some time his
brother Vibhavasu told Supritika, 'It is from great foolishness that
persons blinded by love of wealth always desire to make a partition of
their patrimony. After effecting a partition they fight with each other,
deluded by wealth. Then again, enemies in the guise of friends cause
estrangements between ignorant and selfish men alter they become
separated in wealth, and pointing out faults confirm their quarrels, so
that the latter soon fall one by one. Absolute ruin very soon overtakes
the separated. For these reasons the wise never speak approvingly of
partition amongst brothers who, when divided, do not regard the most
authoritative Sastras and live always in fear of each other. But as thou,
Supritika, without regarding my advice impelled by desire of separation,
always wishest to make an arrangement about your property, thou shall
become an elephant.' Supritika, thus cursed, then spake unto Vibhavasu,
'Thou also shall become a tortoise moving in the midst of the waters.'

"And thus on account of wealth those two fools, Supritika and Vibhavasu,
from each other's curse, have become an elephant and a tortoise
respectively. Owing to their wrath, they have both become inferior
animals. And they are engaged in hostilities with each other, proud of
their excessive strength and the weight of their bodies. And in this lake
those two beings of huge bodies are engaged in acts according to their
former hostility. Look here, one amongst them, the handsome elephant of
huge body, is even now approaching. Hearing his roar, the tortoise also
of huge body, living within the waters, cometh out, agitating the lake
violently. And seeing him the elephant, curling his trunk, rusheth into
the water. And endued with great energy, with motion of his tusks and
fore-part of his trunk and tail and feet, he agitates the water of the
lake abounding with fishes. And the tortoise also of g