Gaudavaho

Author(s): Vakpatiraj, Narhari Govind Suru, P L Vaidya, A N Upadhye, H C Bhayani
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 23

(vi) Krsna and closely associating him with Indra, the lord of gods, who often invites him to sit by his side on the same throne. It is in this strain that the Poet continues with his description of the King Yašovarman, telling us how,
when he moves with his big army on expedition, the great Snake flutters his hoods in agony, but will not shake off the earth firmly fastened on them” (101). “His feudatory kings bow down their foreheads in supplication and thus hide the angry frowns on their faces" (103). 'His voice, deep and demanding great action, roams over worlds and reaches the oceans like the great river Bhāgirathi " ( 107 ). “Even heavenly nymphs pine for love of him, inspired at the sight of his heroic deeds on battle-fields” (113). “And then even Indra honours him by offering him a seat by his side on the throne. Oh ! the mighty Indra, who cut away the wings of flying mountains and made them immobile” (160). This episode is now described. ( 114-160). Indra the Wing-cutter of Flying Mountains :
The very idea of mountains having wings, flying through the air from place to place and halting for rest at intervals, is quite fantastic?. It catches the Poet's Fancy which he now lets loose in visualising and depicting scenes of destruction. The mountains are imagined to be sentient living beings, with families consisting of males, females and young ones, on the analogy of humans or that of the Papa-bear, Mama-bear and Baby-bear of the Fables. The female mountains are even supposed to have conceived and be in advanced stages of pregnancy at the time of this disaster ! “The mountains ” says he "allowed themselves to be burnt, having nowhere else to go to,
2. The legend has its origin in the fight of Indra with Vstra who blocked the waters, as described in the Rgveda.