Storia do Mogor 252.1

252.1

These people accept the twelve celestial signs, and with them the twenty-seven fixed stars, to which they give proper names in their language. They assert in their astronomical treatises that the sun moves above the earth at a distance of six hundred and twenty-five thousand leagues, and the moon is raised above the sun a similar distance. This is the reason, so they say, that eclipses are not caused by the interposition of the moon between the earth and the sun. But here follows what they declare to be the cause. When the gods and the giants were removing the butter from the milky ocean, Vishnu, when he interfered with the giants, gave a feast at which this nectar was served out to all the gods invited by him. But the snake Sesham, whom they call one of the principal gods, was not present at this banquet. Sun and Moon, whom they style the most luminous of the gods, were most greedy, and ate the snake's portion. On his subsequent arrival the snake missed his share. The other gods informed him that the Sun and Moon had eaten it, when the snake, filled with rage and wrath, swore to make them find it a bitter morsel ; when he found it convenient, he meant to swallow them and punish them for their greediness.