spised
everybody, including the gods. And they would chase even the gods, the
Gandharvas, and the Rakshasas and all the born beings, being themselves
valiant and addicted to fighting. Then all people, harassed by the
dull-headed sons of Sagara, united with all the gods, went to Brahma as
their refuge. And then addressed the blessed grandfather of all beings
(Brahma), 'Go ye your way, ye gods, together with all these men. In a not
very long space of time, there will come about, O gods! a great and
exceedingly terrible destruction of Sagara's sons, caused by the deed
perpetrated by them.' Thus addressed, those same gods, and men, O lord of
the sons of Manu! bade adieu to the grandfather, and went back to whence
they had come. Then, O chief of Bharata's race! after the expiry of very
many days, the mighty king Sagara accepted the consecration for
performing the rites of a horse-sacrifice. And his horse began to roam
over the world, protected by his sons. And when the horse reached the
sea, waterless and frightful to behold--although the horse was guarded
with very great care--it (suddenly) vanished at the very spot (it stood
upon). Then, O respected sir! those same sons of Sagara imagined the same
fine horse to have been stolen; and returning to their father, narrated
how it had been stolen out of sight. And thereupon he addressed them,
saying, 'Go ye and search for the horse in all the cardinal points.'
Then, O great king! by this command of their father, they began to search
for the horse in the cardinal points and throughout the whole surface of
the earth. But all those sons of Sagara, all mutually united, could not
find the horse, nor the person who had stolen it. And coming back then,
they with joined palms (thus addressed) their father, (standing) before
them, 'O Protector of men! O ruler of the earth! O king! by thy command,
the whole of this world with its hills and its forest tracts, with its
seas, and its woods, and its islands, with its rivulets and rivers and
caves, hath been searched through by us. But we cannot find either the
horse, or the thief who had stolen the same.' And hearing the words, the
same king became senseless with wrath, and then told them all, carried
away by Destiny, 'Go ye all, may ye never return! Search ye again for the
horse. Without that sacrificial horse, ye must never return, my boys!'"

"And those same sons of Sagara, accepted this command of their father,
and once more began to searc