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.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु जरत्कारुर्महातपाः। चचार पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां यत्रसायंगृहो मुनिः
At that very time, the great ascetic Jaratkaru, who had no home but wandered, roamed the whole earth.
चरन्दीक्षां महातेजा दुश्चरामकृतात्मभिः। तीर्थेष्वाप्लवनं कुर्वन्पुण्येषु विचचार ह
Practicing severe vows, which are hard for the undisciplined to perform, the radiant sage wandered among holy places, bathing in sacred waters.
वायुभक्षो निराहारः शुष्यन्नहरहर्मुनिः। सं ददर्श पितॄन्गर्ते लम्बमानानधोमुखान्
Living only on air, without food, drying up day by day, the sage saw his ancestors hanging head-down in a pit.
एकतन्त्ववशिष्टं वै वीरणस्तम्बमाश्रितान्। तं तन्तुं च शनैराखुमाददानं बिलेशयम्
They were clinging to a single remaining fiber of a reed stalk, and a rat dwelling in a hole was slowly gnawing at that fiber.
निराहारान्कृशान्दीनान्गर्ते स्वत्राणमिच्छतः। उपसृत्य स तान्दीनान्दीनरूपोऽभ्यभाषत
Emaciated, miserable, and without food, they longed for their own protection; approaching them, he, appearing as miserable as they, addressed them.
के भवन्तोऽवलम्बन्ते वीरमस्तम्बमाश्रिताः। दुर्बलं खादितैर्मूलैराखुना बिलवासिना
Who are you, clinging to the reed stalk, depending on this weak root that is being gnawed by a rat living in a hole?
वीरणस्तम्बके मूलं यदप्येकमिह स्थितम्। तद्भप्ययं शनैराखुरादत्ते दशनैः शितैः
Even the one root that remains in this reed stalk is slowly being eaten by the rat with its sharp teeth.
छेत्स्यतेऽल्पावशिष्टत्वादेतदप्यचिरादिव। ततस्तु पतितारोऽत्र गर्ते व्यक्तमधोमुखाः
Soon, because so little is left, this too will be cut; then, clearly, you will all fall headlong into this pit.
अत्र मे दुःखमुत्पन्नं दृष्ट्वा युष्मानधोमुखान्। कृच्छ्रामापदमापन्नान्प्रियं किं करवाणि वः
Seeing you hanging head-down and fallen into such distress, sorrow has arisen in me—what dear thing can I do for you?
तपसोऽस्य चतुर्थेन तृतीयेनाथ वा पुनः। अर्धेन वापि निस्तर्तुमापदं ब्रूत मा चिरम्
Tell me quickly if you wish to escape this calamity by a fourth, a third, or even half of my ascetic merit.