s and himself appropriated the Soma offering alone, thou wert filled
with wrath, and when bent upon preventing Saryati's sacrifice, thou didst
violently strike Chyavana with thy thunderbolt? But that Brahmana, O
Purandara, giving way to passion, was able by the power of his devotions
to seize and hold fast by hand with thy thunder-bolt in it. And in a
rage, he again created a terrible looking enemy of thine, the Asura named
Mada assuming all shapes, on beholding whom thou didst shut thine eyes
with fear, whose one huge jaw was placed on earth, and the other extended
to the celestial regions, and who looked terrible with his thousand sharp
teeth extending over a hundred Yojanas, and had four prominent ones
thick-set, and shining like a pillar of silver, and extending over two
hundred Yojanas. And when grinding his teeth he pursued thee with his
terrible and uplifted pike with the object of killing thee. Thou on
beholding that terrible monster, presented a (pitiful) spectacle to all
the by-standers. Then, O slayer of Danavas, overcome with fear of the
monster, with thy hands clasped in supplication, thou didst seek the
protection of the great sage. The might of Brahmanas, O Sakra, is greater
than that of the Kshatriyas. None are more powerful than Brahmanas and
knowing duly, as I do, the power of Brahmanas, I do not, O Sakra, desire
to come in conflict with Samvarta.'"'"

SECTION X

"'"Indra said, 'Even so it is; the might of Brahmanas is great and there
are none more powerful than Brahmanas, but I can never bear with
equanimity the insolent pride of Avikshita's son, and so shall I smite
him with my thunderbolt. Therefore, O Dhritarashtra, do thou according to
my direction repair to king Marutta attended by Samvarta, and deliver
this message to him--"Do thou, O prince, accept Vrihaspati as thy
spiritual preceptor, as otherwise, I shall strike thee with my terrific
thunderbolt."'"

"'Vyasa said, "Then Dhritarashtra betook himself to that monarch's court
and delivered this message to him from Vasava.

"'"Dhritarashtra said, 'O lord of men, know that I am Dhritarashtra the
Gandharva, come here with the object [of] delivering to thee the message
of Indra. Do thou, O lion among kings, listen to the words which the
high-souled lord of all the worlds meant for thee,--That one of
incomprehensible achievements (Indra) only said this much, "Do thou
accept Vrihaspati as thy officiating priest for the sacrifice, or if thou
do