In the Kathā Sarit Sāgara (Tawney), vol. ii, p. 583, there were two Dānavas, a form of Asura, “invincible even by gods,” who impeded Prajāpati in his work of creation. The only way which the Creator could hit upon to destroy them was to create two lovely maidens, one black and one white. Each of the Dānavas wished to carry off both, so they fought over them and killed each other.
It is only in the Sinhalese story that we find an Asura assisting in the creation. Rāhu is usually known as a dark planetary sign, a dragon’s head, which endeavours to swallow the sun and moon, and thus causes eclipses, at which time, only, it is seen. In the account of the great Churning of the Ocean, it is evident that he was supposed originally to have, or to be able to assume, a figure indistinguishable from those of the Gods.
The story of the application of Vishnu for Rāhu’s assistance is based on the Indian notion that the Asuras were of more ancient date than the Gods. The Mahā Bhārata states that they were the elder brothers of the Gods, and were more powerful than the Gods, who were unable to conquer them in their strongholds under the sea. The God Saman is Indra, the elder brother of Vishnu.
According to the Mahā Bhārata, Vishnu assuming the form of a boar raised the earth to the surface of the waters (which covered it to the depth of one hundred yōjanas), on his tusk, without the aid of any other deity.
The following accounts of the state of things in very early times are borrowed from The Orientalist, vol. iii., pp. 79 and 78, to which they were contributed by Mr. D. A. Jayawardana.
“In the primitive good old days the sky was not so far off from the earth as at present. The sun and moon in their course through the heavens sometimes came in close contact with the house-tops. The stars were stationed so close to the earth that they served as lamps to the houses.
“Once upon a time, there was a servant-maid who was repeatedly disturbed by the passing clouds when she was sweeping the compound [the enclosure round the house], and this was to her a real nuisance. One cloudy morning, when this naughty girl was sweeping the compound as usual, the clouds came frequently in contact with the broom-stick and interfered with her work.
“Losing all patience she gave a smart blow to the firmament with the broom-stick, saying, ‘Get away from hence.’ The sky, as a matter of course, was quite ashamed at the affront[2] thus offered to it by a servant-girl, and flew away far, far out of human reach, in order to avoid a similar catastrophe again.”
The second account is as follows: “Till a long period after the creation, man did not know the use of most of the vegetables now used by him for food. His food at first consisted of some substance like boiled milk, which then grew spontaneously upon the earth. This substance since disappeared, and rice took its place, and grew abundantly without the husk.