however, O best of kings, to show thee a favour in one respect. As long
as thou, O sinless one, shalt dwell in his hole, so long shalt thou
receive (due sustenance, through our boon)! Those streaks of clarified
butter which Brahmans with concentrated minds pour in sacrifices in
accompaniment with sacred mantras, and which are called by the name of
Vasudhara, shall be thine, through our care for thee! Indeed weakness or
distress shall not touch thee.[1814] While dwelling, O king of kings, in
the hole of the Earth, neither hunger nor thirst shall afflict thee for
thou shalt drink those streaks of clarified butter called Vasudhara. Thy
energy also shall continue unabated. In consequence also of this our boon
that we grant thee, the God of gods, viz., Narayana will be gratified
with thee, and He will bear thee hence to the region of Brahman!'--Having
granted these boons unto the king, the denizens of heaven, as also all
those Rishis possessed of wealth of penances, returned each to his
respective place. Then Vasu, O Bharata, began to adore the Creator of the
universe and to recite in silence those sacred mantras that had come out
of Narayana's mouth in days of yore.[1815] Although dwelling in a pit of
the Earth, the king still worshipped Hari, the Lord of all the deities,
in the well-known five sacrifices that are performed five times every
day, O slayer of foes! In consequence of these adorations, Narayana,
otherwise called Hari, became highly pleased with him who thus showed
himself to be entirely devoted to Him, by wholly relying upon Him as his
sole refuge, and who had completely subjugated his senses. The
illustrious Vishnu, that giver of boons, then addressing Garuda of great
speed, that foremost of birds, who waited upon Him as his servant, said
these desirable words:--'O foremost of birds, O thou that art highly
blessed, listen to what I say! There is a great king of the name of Vasu
who is of righteous soul and rigid vows. Through the wrath of the
Brahmanas, he has fallen into a pit of the Earth. The Brahmans, have been
sufficiently honoured (for their curse has fructified). Do thou go to
that king now. At my command, O Garuda, go to that foremost of kings,
viz., Uparichara who is now dwelling in a hole of the Earth and
incapable of any longer sailing through the sky, and bring him up without
delay into the welkin.' Hearing these words of Vishnu, Garuda, spreading
his wings and rushing with the speed of the wind, en