red by
the gods and celestial Rishis, the Vasus with Prithu at their head. And
wandering there with their wives, they enjoyed themselves in those
delightful woods and mountains. And as they wandered there, the
slender-waisted wife of one of the Vasus, O thou of the prowess of Indra,
saw in those woods Nandini, the cow of plenty. And seeing that cow
possessing the wealth of all accomplishments, large eyes, full udders,
fine tail, beautiful hoofs, and every other auspicious sign, and yielding
much milk, she showed the animal to her husband Dyu. O thou of the
prowess of the first of elephants, when Dyu was shown that cow, he began
to admire her several qualities and addressing his wife, said, 'O
black-eyed girl of fair thighs, this excellent cow belongeth to that
Rishi whose is this delightful asylum. O slender-waisted one, that mortal
who drinketh the sweet milk of this cow remaineth in unchanged youth for
ten thousand years.' O best of monarchs, hearing this, the
slender-waisted goddess of faultless features then addressed her lord of
blazing splendour and said, 'There is on earth a friend of mine, Jitavati
by name, possessed of great beauty and youth. She is the daughter of that
god among men, the royal sage Usinara, endued with intelligence and
devoted to truth. I desire to have this cow, O illustrious one, with her
calf for that friend of mine. Therefore, O best of celestials, bring that
cow so that my friend drinking of her milk may alone become on earth free
from disease and decrepitude. O illustrious and blameless one, it
behoveth thee to grant me this desire of mine. There is nothing that
would be more agreeable to me.' On hearing these words of his wife, Dyu,
moved by the desire of humouring her, stole that cow, aided by his
brothers Prithu and the others. Indeed, Dyu, commanded by his lotus-eyed
wife, did her bidding, forgetting at the moment the high ascetic merits
of the Rishi who owned her. He did not think at the time that he was
going to fall by committing the sin of stealing the cow.

"When the son of Varuna returned to his asylum in the evening with fruits
he had collected, he beheld not the cow with her calf there. He began to
search for them in the woods, but when the great ascetic of superior
intelligence found not his cow on search, he saw by his ascetic vision
that she had been stolen by the Vasus. His wrath was instantly kindled
and he cursed the Vasus, saying, 'Because the Vasus have stolen my cow o