तक्षकस्य वचः श्रुत्वा काश्यपो द्विजसत्तमः। प्रदध्यौ सुमहातेजाराजानं प्रति बुद्धिमान्
Hearing Takṣaka's words, Kāśyapa, best of the twice-born, of great energy, thoughtfully considered the king.
दिव्यज्ञानः स तेजस्वी ज्ञात्वा तं नृपतिं तदा। क्षीणायुषं पाण्डवेयमपावर्तत काश्यपः
That radiant sage, endowed with divine knowledge, then perceived that the king of the Pāṇḍavas had little life left, and Kāśyapa turned back.
लब्ध्वा वित्तं मुनिवरस्तक्षकाद्यावदीप्सितम्। निवृत्ते काश्यपे तस्मिन्समयेन महात्मनि
Having received the wealth he desired from Takṣaka, the great sage Kāśyapa turned back at that very moment.
जगाम तक्षकस्तूर्णं नगरं नागसाह्वयम्। अथ शुश्राव गच्छन्स तक्षको जगतीपतिम्
Takṣaka swiftly went to the city called Nāgasāhvaya, and as he went, Takṣaka heard of the lord of the earth.
मन्त्रैर्विषहरैर्दिव्यै रक्ष्यमाणं प्रयत्नतः
He was being carefully protected by divine spells that neutralize poison.
मया वञ्चयितव्योऽसौ क उपायो भवेदिति। ततस्तापसरूपेण प्राहिणोत्स भुजंगमान्
'I must deceive him—what means can there be?' Then, taking the form of an ascetic, he sent forth the serpents.
गच्छध्वं यूयमव्यग्रा राजानं कार्यवत्तया
Go forth, all of you, without hesitation, to the king, with diligence in your task.
ते तक्षकसमादिष्टास्तथा चक्रुर्भुजङ्गमाः
Those serpents, instructed by Takshaka, acted accordingly.
उपनिन्युस्तथा राज्ञे दर्भानम्भः फलानि च। तच्च सर्वं स राजेन्द्रः प्रतिजग्राह वीर्यवान्
They brought to the king darbha grass, water, and fruits; and the mighty king accepted all of it.
कृत्वा तेषां च कार्याणि गम्यतामित्युवाच तान्। गतेषु तेषु नागेषु तापसच्छद्मरूपिषु
Having accomplished their tasks, he said to them, 'You may depart'; and when those serpents, disguised as ascetics, had left,
अमात्यान्सुहृदश्चैव प्रोवाच स नराधिपः। भक्षयन्तु भवन्तो वै स्वादूनीमानि सर्वशः
The king spoke to his ministers and friends: 'Let all of you eat these sweet fruits.'
तापसैरुपनीतानि फलानि सहिता मया। ततो राजा ससचिवः फलान्यादातुमैच्छत
The fruits brought by the ascetics were given to me; then the king, together with his ministers, wished to eat the fruits.
विधिना संप्रयुक्तो वै ऋषिवाक्येन तेन तु। यस्मिन्नेव फले नागस्तमेवाभक्षयत्स्वयम्
Bound by ritual and the words of the sage, he ate the very fruit in which the serpent was present.
ततो भक्षयतस्तस्य फलात्कृमिरभूदणुः। ह्रस्वकः कृष्णनयनस्ताम्रवर्णोऽथ शौनक
Then, as he ate the fruit, a tiny worm appeared—short, with black eyes and copper-colored, O Shaunaka.
स तं गृह्य नृपश्रेष्ठः सचिवानिदमब्रवीत्। अस्तमभ्येति सविता विषादद्य न मे भयम्
Taking it, the illustrious king said to his ministers: 'The sun is setting; today I have no fear of poison.'
सत्यवागस्तु स मुनिः कृमिर्मां दशतामयम्। तक्षको नाम भूत्वा वै तथा परिहृतं भवेत्
But the sage, true to his word, said: 'This worm will bite me; becoming Takshaka by name, thus it will be accomplished.'
ते चैनमन्ववर्तन्त मन्त्रिणः कालचोदिताः। एवमुक्त्वा स राजेन्द्रो ग्रीवायां सन्निवेश्यह
The ministers, prompted by time, followed him; and so, having spoken, the king placed it upon his neck.
कृमिकं प्राहसत्तूर्णं मुमूर्षुर्नष्टचेतनः। प्रहसन्नेव भोगेन तक्षकेणाभिवेष्टितः
Desiring death and losing consciousness, he laughed and quickly placed the worm; even as he laughed, Takshaka wrapped around him with his coil.
तस्मात्फलाद्विनिष्क्रम्य यत्तद्राज्ञे निवेदितम्। वेष्टयित्वा च भोगेन विनद्य च महास्वनम्। अदशत्पृथिवीपालं तक्षकः पन्नगेश्वरः
Emerging from the fruit, as had been reported to the king, Takshaka, lord of serpents, wrapped him with his coil, roared loudly, and bit the ruler of the earth.
तं तथा मन्त्रिणो दृष्ट्वा भोगेन परिवेष्टितम्। विषण्णवदनाः सर्वे रुरुदुर्भृशदुःखिताः
Seeing him thus encircled by the coil, all the ministers, faces distressed, wept in great sorrow.
तं तु नागं ततो दृष्ट्वा मन्त्रिणस्ते प्रदुद्रुवुः। अपश्यन्त तथा यान्तमाकाशे नागमद्भुतम्
Then, seeing the serpent, the ministers fled; they watched as the wondrous serpent moved through the sky.
सीमन्तमिव कुर्वाणं नभसः पद्मवर्चसम्। तक्षकं पन्नगश्रेष्ठं भृशं शोकपरायणाः
They saw Takshaka, the foremost of serpents, shining like a lotus, marking the boundary of the sky, and were overwhelmed by grief.
ततस्तु ते तद्गृहमग्निना वृतं प्रदीप्यमानं विषजेन भोगिनः। भयात्परित्यज्य दिशः प्रपेदिरे पपात तच्चाशनिताडितं यथा
Then, that house, surrounded by fire and blazing with the poison of the serpent, was abandoned in fear as they fled in all directions; it fell as if struck by lightning.
ततो नृपे तक्षकतेजसाहते प्रयुज्य सर्वाः परलोकसत्क्रियाः। शुचिर्दिजो राजपुरोहितस्तदा तथैव ते तस्य नृपस्य मन्त्रिणः
Then, when the king was overcome by Takshaka's power, all the proper rites for the departed were performed; the pure Brahmin, royal priest, and likewise the king's ministers did so.
नृपं शिशुं तस्य सुतं प्रचक्रिरे समेत्य सर्वे पुरवासिनो जनाः। नृपं यमाहुस्तममित्रघातिनं कुरुप्रवीरं जनमेजयं जनाः
All the people of the city gathered together and proclaimed the boy, his son, as king; they called Janamejaya, the foremost of the Kurus and slayer of foes, their king.
स बाल एवार्यमतिर्नृपोत्तमः सहैव तैर्मन्त्रिपुरोहितैस्तदा। शशास राज्यं कुरुपुंगवाग्रजो यथाऽस्य वीरः प्रपितामहस्तथा
Though still a child, that noble-minded best of kings, along with his ministers and priests, ruled the kingdom as his heroic great-grandfather had done before him.
ततस्तु राजानममित्रतापनं समीक्ष्य ते तस्य नृपस्य मन्त्रिणः। सुवर्णवर्माणमुपेत्य काशिप वपुष्टमार्थं वरयांप्रचक्रमुः
Then, seeing that king, the tormentor of enemies, the ministers of that ruler approached Suvarnavarma, the Kashian, to seek his daughter for the sake of lineage.
ततः स राजा प्रददौ वपुष्टमां कुरुप्रवीराय परीक्ष्य धर्मतः। स चापि तां प्राप्य मुदा युतोऽभव- न्न चान्यनारीषु मनो दधे क्वचित्
Thereupon, that king, after due consideration and in accordance with dharma, gave his beautiful daughter to the foremost of the Kurus; and having obtained her, he rejoiced and did not set his mind on any other woman.
सरःसु फुल्लेषु वनेषु चैव प्रसन्नचेता विजहार वीर्यवान्। तथा स राजन्यवरो विजह्रिवान् यथोर्वशीं प्राप्य पुरा पुरूरवाः
With a joyful heart, the valiant king wandered among blooming lakes and forests; just as Pururavas once delighted after gaining Urvashi, so did that foremost of kings rejoice.
वपुष्टमा चापि वरं पतिव्रता प्रतीतरूपा समवाप्य भूपतिम्। भावेन रामा रमयांबभूव तं विहारकालेष्ववरोधसुन्दरी
And Vapushtama, the virtuous and devoted wife, radiant in her beauty, having obtained the king, delighted him like Rama herself, the most beautiful among the women of the inner chambers, during times of pleasure.