Note 9 — Chapter XC · (Vetála 16.)

When Jímútaváhana, that treasure-house of courage and compassion, had heard, inly grieving, this story from the mouth of Mitrávasu, he thus answered him, “One cannot help grieving for king Vásuki, who, like a coward, offers up every day his subjects to their enemy with his own hand. As he has a thousand faces and a thousand mouths, why could he not say with one mouth to Garuḍa, ‘Eat me first?’ And how could he be so cowardly as to ask Garuḍa to destroy his race, and so heartless as to be able to listen continually unmoved to the lamentation of the Nága women?9 And to think that Garuḍa, though the son of Kaśyapa and a hero, and though sanctified by being the bearer of Kṛishṇa, should do such an evil deed! Alas the depths of delusion!” When the noble-hearted one had said this, he formed this wish in his heart, “May I obtain the one essential object in this world by the sacrifice of the unsubstantial body! May I be so fortunate as to save the life of one friendless terrified Nága by offering myself to Garuḍa!”