यत्रेमं तु सहस्राक्ष निक्षिपेयमहं स्वयम्। त्वमादाय ततस्तृर्णं हरेथास्त्रिदिवेश्वर
Wherever I myself place this Soma, O thousand-eyed one, you may then take the grass and carry it away, O lord of the three worlds.
वाक्येनानेन तुष्टोऽहं यत्त्वयोक्तमिहाण्डज। यमिच्छसि वरं मत्तस्तं गृहाण खगोत्तम
Pleased by these words you have spoken here, O egg-born one, take from me whatever boon you desire, O best of birds.
इत्युक्तः प्रत्युवाचेदं कद्रूपुत्राननुस्मरन्। भवेयुर्भुजगाः शक्र मम भक्ष्या महाबलाः
Thus addressed, he replied, not recalling the sons of Kadru: 'Let the mighty serpents, O Shakra, become my food.'
ईशोऽहमपि सर्वस्य करिष्यामि तु तेऽर्थिताम्। भवेयुर्भुजगाः शक्र मम भक्ष्या महाबलाः
I am lord of all, and I will fulfill your request. Let the mighty serpents, O Shakra, become my food.
तथेत्युक्त्वाऽन्वगच्छत्तं ततो दानवसूदनः। देवदेवं महात्मानं योगिनामीश्वरं हरिम्
Having said 'so be it,' the destroyer of the Danavas followed him, the great-souled lord of yogis, Hari, god of gods.
स चान्वमोदत्तं चार्थं यथोक्तं गरुडेन वै। इदं भूयो वचः प्राह भगवांस्त्रिदशेश्वरः
He also approved the matter as spoken by Garuda, and the blessed lord of the gods spoke these words again.
हरिष्यामि विनिक्षिप्तं सोममित्यनुभाष्य तम्। आजगाम ततस्तूर्णं सुपर्णी मातुरन्तिकम्
I will take the Soma once it is placed, he said to him, and then Suparni swiftly went to his mother.
विनयावनतो भूत्वा वचनं चेदमब्रवीत्। इदमानीतममृतं देवानां भवनान्मया
With humility and bowed head, he spoke these words: 'This nectar of immortality has been brought from the gods' abode by me.'
प्रशाधि किमितो मातः करिष्यामि शुभव्रते
Command me, O mother, what shall I do, O you of auspicious vows?
इदमानीतममृतं निक्षेप्स्यामि कुशेषु वः
This nectar of immortality that I have brought, I will place for you upon the kusa grass.
स्नाता मङ्गलसंयुक्तास्ततः प्राश्नीत पन्नगाः। भवद्भिरिदमासीनैर्यदुक्तं तद्वचस्तदा
Having bathed and adorned with auspicious rites, then the serpents shall partake. As you have said, so shall it be for you who are seated here.
अदासी चैव मातेयमद्यप्रभृति चास्तु मे। यथोक्तं भवतामेतद्वचो मे प्रतिपादितम्
Let this mother be mine from today onward; as spoken by you all, your words have been fulfilled for me.
ततः स्नातुं गताः सर्पाः प्रत्युक्त्वा तं तथेत्युत। शक्रोऽप्यमृतमाक्षिप्य जगाम त्रिदिवं पुनः
Then the serpents went to bathe, having replied 'so be it' to him. Shakra, too, seized the nectar and returned again to heaven.
अथागतास्तमुद्देशं सर्पाः सोमार्थिनस्तदा। स्नाताश्च कुतजप्याश्च प्रहृष्टाः कृतमङ्गलाः
Then the serpents, desiring Soma, arrived at that place, bathed, recited prayers, rejoicing and adorned with auspicious rites.
परस्परकृतद्वेषाः सोमप्राशनकर्मणि। अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वमित्युक्त्वा ते समाद्रवन्
Harboring mutual hatred, they rushed forward to drink the soma, each declaring, 'I will go first! I will go first!'
यत्रैतदमृतं चापि स्थापितं कुशसंस्तरे। तद्विज्ञाय हृतं सर्पाः प्रतिमायाकृतं च तत्
When the nectar had been placed upon the bed of kusa grass, the serpents, realizing it had been taken and replaced with an imitation, understood what had happened.
सोमस्थानमिदं चेति दर्भांस्ते लिलिहुस्तदा। ततो द्विधा कृता जिह्वाः सर्पाणां तेन कर्मणा
Thinking, 'This is the place of the soma,' the serpents then licked the blades of darbha grass; as a result of this act, their tongues were split in two.
अभवंश्चामृतस्पर्शाद्दर्भास्तेऽथ पवित्रिणः। `नागाश्च वञ्चिता भूत्वा विसृज्य विनतां ततः। विषादमगमंस्तीव्रं गरुडस्य बलात्प्रभो
Because of contact with the nectar, those purifying blades of grass became immortal; but the serpents, deceived and abandoning Vinata, fell into deep despair due to Garuda's power, O lord.
एवं तदमृतं तेन हृतमाहृतमेव च। द्विजिह्वाश्च कृताः सर्पा गरुडेन महात्मना
Thus, the nectar was taken and carried away by Garuda, the great-souled one, and the serpents were made two-tongued by him.
ततः सुपर्णः परमप्रहर्षवा- न्विहृत्य मात्रा सह तत्र कानने। भुजंगभक्षः परमार्चितः खगै- रहीनकीर्तिर्विनतामनन्दयत्
Then Suparna, filled with supreme joy, having accomplished his aim, delighted his mother Vinata in the forest, honored by the birds as the devourer of serpents, though his fame was diminished.
इमां कथां यः शृणुयान्नरः सदा पठेत वा द्विजगणमुख्यसंसदि। असंशयं त्रिदिवमियात्स पुण्यभा- ङ्महात्मनः पतगपतेः प्रकीर्तनात्
Whoever always hears or recites this story in the assembly of foremost Brahmins will, without doubt, attain heaven, gaining merit through the praise of the great-souled lord of birds.
भुजङ्गमानां शापस्य मात्रा चैव सुतेन च। विनतायास्त्वया प्रोक्तं कारणं सूतनन्दन
O Sutanandana, you have told the cause of the curse upon the serpents, as well as the story of Vinata and her son.
वरप्रदानं भर्त्रा च कद्रूविनतयोस्तथा। नामनी चैव ते प्रोक्ते पक्षिणोर्वैनतेययोः
You have also spoken of the granting of boons by their husband to Kadru and Vinata, and the names of the two bird sons of Vinata.
पन्नगानां तु नामानि न कीतर्यसि सूतज। प्राधान्येनापि नामानि श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम्
But, O son of Suta, you have not recounted the names of the serpents; we wish to hear their principal names.
बहुत्वान्नामधेयानि पन्नगानां तपोधन। न कीर्तयिष्ये सर्वेषां प्राधान्येन तु मे शृणु
O ascetic, because the names of the serpents are many, I will not recite them all; but hear from me their chief names.
शेषः प्रथमतो जातो वासुकिस्तदनन्तरम्। ऐरावतस्तक्षकश्च कर्कोटकधनञ्जयौ
First was born Shesha, then Vasuki; after them came Airavata, Takshaka, Karkotaka, and Dhananjaya.
कालियो मणिनागश्च नागश्चापूरणस्तथा। नागस्तथा पिञ्जरक एलापत्रोऽथ वामनः
Kaliya, Maninaga, Apurana, Pinjaraka, Elapatra, and Vamana were also born as serpents.
नीलानीलौ तथा नागौ कल्माषशबलौ तथा। आर्यकश्चोग्रकश्चैव नागः कलशपोतकः
Nilā and Anila, Kalmasha and Shabala, Aryaka and Ugraka, and the serpent Kalashapotaka.
सुमनाख्यो दधिमुखस्तथा विमलपिण्डकः। आप्तः कोटरकश्चैव शङ्खो वालिशिखस्तथा
Sumanakhya, Dadhimukha, Vimalapindaka, Apta, Kotaraka, Shankha, and Valishikha.
निष्टानको हेमगुहो नहुषः पिङ्गलस्तथा। बाह्यकर्णो हस्तिपदस्तथा मुद्गरपिण्डकः
Nishtanaka, Hemaguha, Nahusha, Pingala, Bahyakarna, Hastipada, and Mudgarapindaka.