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 search through the entire world. Now these heroes
saw a rift on the surface of the earth. And having reached this pit, the
sons of Sagara began to excavate it. And with spades and pickaxes they
went on digging the sea, making the utmost efforts. And that same abode
of Varuna (namely the ocean), being thus, excavated by the united sons
of Sagara and rent and cut on all sides round, was placed in a condition
of the utmost distress. And the demons and snakes and Rakshasas and
various (other) animated beings began to utter distressful cries, while
being killed by Sagara's sons. And hundreds and thousands of animated
beings were beheld with severed heads and separated trunks and with
their skins and bones and joints rent asunder and broken. Thus they went
on digging the ocean, which was the abode of Varuna and an exceedingly
long space of time expired in this work, but still the horse was not
found. Then, O lord of earth! towards the north-eastern region of the
sea, the incensed sons of Sagara dug down as far as the lower world, and
there they beheld the horse, roaming about on the surface of the ground.
And they saw the magnanimous Kapila, who looked like a perfect mass of
splendour. And having beheld him shining with his brightness, just as
the fire shineth with its flames, they, O king! seeing the horse, were
flushed with delight. And they being incensed, sent forward by their
fate, paid no heed to the presence of the magnanimous Kapila, and ran
forward with a view to seizing the horse. Then, O great king! Kapila,
the most righteous of saints,--he whom the great sages name as Kapila
Vasudeva--assumed a fiery look, and the mighty saint shot flames towards
them, and thereby burnt down the dull-headed sons of Sagara. And Narada,
whose practice of austerities was very great, when he beheld them
reduced to ashes, came to Sagara's side, and gave the information to
him. And when the king learnt this terrible news which proceeded from
the mouth of the saint, for nearly an hour he remained sad, and then he
bethought himself of w