Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.3645

c9.3645

Though Uttaṅka praised and cajoled the Nāgas (serpents) their King Takṣaka did not make his appearance. Uttaṅka saw there two women, who had been weaving clothes, and on one machine there were black and white threads. The machine had one wheel with twelve spokes and was turned by six boys. Also was there a horse, and a man. When Uttaṅka praised them, the horse and the man approached him. The man advised Uttaṅka to blow through the anus of the horse so that the snakes could be brought round. Uttaṅka did so, when lo! from all the pores on the body of the horse, flames of fire began sprouting out. When the Nāgaloka (country of serpents) got thus filled with fire and flames, Taksaka lost his nerves and came out with the stolen ear-rings, which Uttaṅka received back. But, that was the last day on which the rings had been promised to be given to his guru's wife by Uttaṅka, who remained there gloomy and sorrow-stricken at the thought that he would not be able to travel all the distance before sunset and give the ear-rings to the guru's wife. Then the horseman gave the horse to Uttaṅka, who reached the āśrama just in time when the guru's wife was about to curse Uttaṅka for not returning with the rings though it was nearly dusk time. Now the guru and his wife blessed Uttaṅka, who detailed to them his experiences since leaving the āśrama in quest of the ear-rings. Then the guru spoke thus to Uttaṅka—"The two women whom you found engaged in weaving were Dhātā and Vidhātā, the white and black strings, day and night, and the six boys who turned the wheel with twelve spokes were the six seasons. The ox seen by you on the way was Airāvata (Indra's elephant), the horse seen in Pātāla was Agnideva, and the horseman, Indra. The excretion you ate on your way was nectar and that was the reason why you did not die in the Nāgaloka. Indra who is my friend blessed you because of mercy towards you, my disciple. You could bring back the ear-rings also because of Indra's blessings."