9 - The Battle of the Maina and the Heron.

Vashishtha, enraged with Vishvamitra for his cruelty to Harish-chandra, cursed him to become a heron, and Vishvamitra cursed Vashishtha to become a maina-Both Munis as gigantic birds have a terrible fight, and are at length pacified by Brahma. 

The birds spoke.

1       When Harish-chandra had left his kingdom and had gone to the abode of the thirty gods, there came out from his residence

2 in the water the glorious family priest, Vasishtha, the Mini, who dwelt at the Ganges, at the end of twelve years; and he heard the whole of the deeds of Vishvamitra,

3 and also the downfall of the noble-dealing king Harish-chandra, and his association with the chandala, and his sale

4 of his wife and son. 'That most illustrious Muni having heard the story, being full of affection for the king, grow wrathful in his dignity against the Ruishi Vishvamitra. 

Vashishtha spoke.

5. “It was Vishvamitra who destroyed my hundred Hong; yet on

6. that occasion I was not so wroth as I ain this day, on hearing that this king, who way high-souled, eminent, worshipful towards the gods and brahmans, had been ousted from his

7. kingdom. Since that king, truthful, tranquil, devoid of envy even towards an enemy, faultless also, upright in soul, vigilant,

8. a relier on me, has been reduced to the last extremity together with his wife dependants and son, has been expelled from his kingdom by Vishvamitra, and has been greatly worsted,

9. therefore that impious brahman-hater, uprooted from among the wise, blasted by my curse, the fool, shall be turned into heron."* 

* See note †, p. 58.

The birds spoke.

10 Hearing the curse, the glorious Vishvamitra likewise Kushika’s descendant, inflicted the counter-curse, " Do thon also

11 become a maina."† Both those most illustrious sages were transformed into birds through their mutual curses, the glorious Vashishtha and Vishvamitra, Kushika’s descendant.

† See note *, p. 58.

12     Both of them, boundless in might, allying themselves with other classes of beings, fought together, exceedingly exasperated

13, great in strength and prowess. The Maina increased i size to two thousand yojanas; as the Heron, O brahman

14 increased to three thousand and ninety. And then those two, of wide heroism, assailing each other with blows of

15 their wings, created sore fear among the creatures. The Heron, his eyes swollen with blood, lifting his wings bean the Maina; and he also, stretching out his neck, struck the

16 Heron with his feet. Overthrown by the wind from their wings, mountains fell down on the earth; and struck by the

17 downfall of the mountains the earth quaked; and the earth as it quaked, caused the waters of the seas to swell up, 'and reeled over on one side, turning towards the descent to Patala

18 Living beings perished, some by the fall of the mountains. others by the waters of the seas, others through the quaking

19 of the earth. Thus, everything being terrified was turned into lamentation, bereft of consciousness; the world was greatly agitated, and its countries were thrown into confusion,

20 people exclaiming " Ah, my child! ah my beloved child! come, here I am fixed"-"ah my darling wife!"-"my beloved husband!"-" this rock is falling, escape quickly."

21 Then, when the world was thus distressed and averted in terror, surrounded by all the gods, advanced the fore-father,

22 the lord of the universe, and replied to both those combatants who wero violently enraged- “Let this your strife cease, and let the worlds recover their stability!" Although they heard

23 the words of Brahms, whose birth is inscrutable, yet both of them, filled with anger and fury still fought, and did not desist.

24 Thereupon the fore-father, the god, seeing the destruction of the worlds, and desiring the welfare of both of them, dissipated

25 their brute-nature; and the god, the lord of creation, addressed them both, clothed in their former bodies, Vasishtha and the noble descendant of Kushika, the state of darkness having been dispelled:- 

26. “Stay thou, my beloved Vashishtha, and thou, most virtuous Kaushika, this contest that, while involved in the state of I darkness, yo desire to carry on. This outcome of the Rajasúya sacrifice of king Harish-chandra, and this war between

28 you two, are causing the earth to waste away. Nor Moreover, does that best of the Kaushikas offend against that king, for since he has caused him to attain to Svarga, O brahman! he

29 occupies the position of a benefactor. Do yo both, the creators of obstacles to your austerities, who have fallen into subjection to lust and anger, cease; for worthy are your prayers, and ample is your power."

30 Thus admonished by him, both then grew ashamed, and

31 embracing lovingly forgave each other. Thereupon, hymned by the gods, Brahma departed to his own world, and Vashishtha to his own place, and Kaushika also to his own hermitage.

32 Those mortals, who shall fittingly relate and who shall fittingly hear this battle of the Maina and the Heron, and the

33 story of Harish-chandra, what they hear shall verily dispel their sins; nor shall they ever encounter antagonistic duties.