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12
SETUBANDHA be partly drawn up by the sun, taking hold of their rays with its own rays.
13. It seemed to carry the venom, ejected from the mouth of Vāsuki during the toil of churning the ocean, and accumulated in the cavern of the submarine fire, and enveloped in raging flames, because the nectar had been taken out of the waters, 10
14. It had the mass of waters just as it had fortitude. It had the winged mountains11 as it had shoals of whales. It had the waves as it had the incoming rivers, and numerous substantial qualities as it had gems.
15. It moved back and forth in itself, deep like the cavity of the nether regions, and vast without including the earth, and independent like the sky; even as Vişnu comes and goes12 in his own self, the universe, deep in the nether regions, far more extensive than the earth, and unsupported in the sky.
16. Approaching and retreating, the rivers (first) appeared to withdraw on being caressed by the sea, and then followed in its wake, as if they were smitten with remorse, quivering as they advanced and retraced their steps.13
17. It still maddened the world with the splendour of its riches and the goddess of wealth and wine. All these had emerged during the churning,14 and are esteemed more than one's life, and afford enjoyment to one's heart's content.
9. Kara means both 'hands' and 'rays'. The imagery is that of someone pulling a person out of deep water by catching hold of his hands. The idea is, the jewels glittering in the waters seemed to be quite close to the sunlit surface of the sea.
10. The serpent Vásuki was used as a rope coiled round the Mandara mountain, with which the ocean was churned. Here, the submarine fire is fancied as his fiery venom, enveloped in flames that remained unquenched, because the nectar, which could have counteracted the poison, was taken away by the gods when it emerged during the churning.
11. Those of the mountains which had jumped into the ocean to save their wings when these were being clipped by Indra.
12. i.e., appears and disappears in the course of his Incarnations.
13. The rivers, advancing and receding as they encounter the waves, and then falling into the sea, are fancied as nāyikās, who repent having rejected the advances of their lovers, and subsequently go out to meet them. The readings followed are ahilia and osariāhi. See Extracts, especially the interpretation of Kulanātha.
14. Ct. verse 11.
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