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DAŪRTAKÄYĀNA:
(No. 7), that you could have a step measuring one hundred yojanas (No. 8), and that you could lift up the heavy stone of the lid (Nos. 9-10).” (III. 20–98).
IV
Sasa narrated his experience thus: “I have my field near the mountain, and once I went there from my village during autumn. An elephant rushed on me from the mountain. I trembled with fear and somehow managed to climb a lofty sesamum tree. The elephant whirled round the tree; sesamum seeds were showered all round; and when they were crushed under its hoofs, there was a flood of sesamum oil. Stuck deep in mud, the elephant died of hunger and thirst. I breathed a sigh of relief, got down the tree, drank some ten pots of sesamum oil and ate a load of seed-stuff, prepared a bag of that elephant's hide, filled it with oil, and entered my village after placing that bag on a tree outside. I asked my son to bring the bag; but he could not see it; so he pulled out the tree and brought it home. This is my personal experience; well, if any one does not believe all this, he should entertain us with a feast." (IV. 1-13)
Khandapānā said that there were parallels to Śaśa's experience in the Bhārata, Rāmāyaṇa etc. She continued to confirm the same:“ 1) It is reported that, at Pāţaliputra, a drum was carved from the wood of māşa plant. 2) According to the Bhārata the ichor fluid of elephants flowed like a flooded river, washing down elephants, horses and chariots. 3) Bhimasena killed the demon Baka at Ekacakra and gulped pots of rice, a buffalo and a thousand jugs of wine. 4) It is said that Kumbhakarņa, whenever he woke up, ate hundreds of men and drank a thousand pots, of water. 5) According to Purāņas, the saint Agastya drank the ocean in order to destroy Asuras. 6) On her way from heaven, the river Gaigā passed through the matted hair of Hara. When she lowed through the hermitage of Jahnu, he gulped and retained her in his stomach for one thousand years. 7) The saint Kāśyapa had two wives, Kadrū and Vinatā. These cowives once betted: the loser should either become a life-long slave of the other or give nectar for her freedom. Vinată became the slave of Kadrū who tried to disgrace her now and then. She was always miserable. Once she laid three eggs: the first produced a balf-grown scorpion, and the second, the thighless Aruna who later on became the charioteer of the sun. She learnt a lesson, and broke the third egg after it was fully ripe. The mighty Garuda was produced ; and he proved a great danger to the sons of Kadrū who, on that account, constantly teased Vinată. On her being requested by Garuda, Vinatā explained to him how she was miserable due to her slavery and how she would be freed by the nectar the source of which was known to his blind father, now staying in the Badari Asrama. He went to Kāśyapa who recognised him by touch. According to his father's wish, that hungry Garuda satisfied his hunger by eating a huge elephant and an equally huge tortoise which were constantly disturbing the lake by mutual quarrel. On his way back he saw a huge, extensive Vața tree under which millions of Valakbilya saints, the progeny of Brahman, were practising penance.
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