श्रुत्वैतद्भवतां वाक्यं पितुर्मे स्वर्गतिं प्रति। निश्चितेयं मम मतिर्या च तां मे निबोधत। अनन्तरं च मन्येऽहं तक्षकाय दुरात्मने
Having heard your words about my father's fate, my decision is now firm—listen to what I intend; I think that Takshaka, that wicked one, must be dealt with next.
प्रतिकर्तव्यमित्येवं येन मे हिंसितः पिता। शृङ्गिणं हेतुमात्रं यः कृत्वा दग्ध्वा च पार्थिवम्
He must be repaid, for he caused my father's death—he who, making Shringin only the instrument, burned the king.
इयं दुरात्मता तस्य काश्यपं यो न्यवर्तयत्। यद्यागच्छेत्स वै विप्रो ननु जीवेत्पिता मम
It was his wickedness that turned Kashyapa away; had that Brahmin arrived, surely my father would have lived.
परिहीयेत किं तस्य यदि जीवेत्स पार्थिवः। काश्यपस्य प्रसादेन मन्त्रिणां विनयेन च
What loss would there have been for Takshaka if the king had survived, thanks to Kashyapa's favor and the counselors' guidance?
स तु वारितवान्मोहात्काश्यपं द्विजसत्तमम्। संजिजीवयिषुं प्राप्तं राजानमपराजितम्
But out of delusion, he turned away the excellent Brahmin Kashyapa, who had come to revive the undefeated king.
महानतिक्रमो ह्येष तक्षकस्य दुरात्मनः। द्विजस्य योऽददद्द्रव्यं मा नृपं जीवयेदिति
This is a great transgression of that wicked Takshaka—he gave wealth to the Brahmin so that the king would not be revived.
उत्तङ्कस्य प्रियं कर्तुमात्मनश्च महत्प्रियम्। भवतां चैव सर्वेषां गच्छाम्यपचितिं पितुः
To please Uttanka, to do a great service for myself, and for all of you, I will perform the funeral rites for my father.
एवमुक्त्वा ततः श्रीमान्मन्त्रिभिश्चानुमीदितः। आरुरोह प्रतिज्ञां स सर्पसत्राय पार्थिवः
Having spoken thus, the illustrious king, supported by his counselors, took up the vow to perform the snake-sacrifice.
ब्रह्मन्भरतशार्दूलो राजा पारिक्षितस्तदा। पुरोहितमथाहूय ऋत्विजो वसुधाधिपः
Then, O Brahmin, O tiger among the Bharatas, King Parikshit's son summoned his priest and the officiating priests.
अब्रवीद्वाक्यसंपन्नः कार्यसंपत्करं वचः। यो मे हिंसितवांस्तातं तक्षकः स दुरात्मवान्
He, skilled in speech, spoke words that would accomplish his purpose: 'That wicked Takshaka, who killed my father...'
प्रतिकुर्यां यथा तस्य तद्भवन्तो ब्रुवन्तु मे। अपि तत्कर्म विदितं भवतां येन पन्नगम्
Tell me, how should I act toward him? Do you know by what means the serpent was responsible?
तक्षकं संप्रदीप्तेऽग्नौ प्रक्षिपेयं सबान्धवम्। यथा तेन पिता मह्यं पूर्वं दग्धो विषाग्निना।। तथाऽहमपि तं पापं दग्धुमिच्छामि पन्नगम्
I wish to cast Takshaka, along with his kin, into blazing fire—just as my father was formerly burned by the serpent's venomous fire, so too do I desire to burn that wicked serpent.
अस्ति राजन्महात्सत्रं त्वदर्थं देवनिर्मितम्। सर्वसत्रमिति ख्यातं पुराणे परिपठ्यते
O King, there is a great sacrificial rite, created by the gods for your sake, known in the Purāṇas as the 'universal sacrifice.'
आहर्ता तस्य सत्रस्य त्वन्नान्योऽस्ति नराधिप। इति पौराणिकाः प्राहुरस्माकं चास्ति स क्रतुः
They say, according to ancient tradition, that you alone, among men, are qualified to perform this sacrifice; that rite exists for us.
एवमुक्तः स राजर्षिर्मेने दग्धं हि तक्षकम्। हुताशनमुखे दीप्ते प्रविष्टमिति सत्तम
Thus addressed, the royal sage believed that Takshaka had indeed been consumed, having entered the mouth of the blazing fire.
ततोऽब्रवीन्मन्त्रविदस्तान्राजा ब्राह्मणांस्तदा। आहरिष्यामि तत्सत्रं संभाराः संभ्रियन्तु मे
Then the king, skilled in mantras, spoke to those Brahmins: 'I will undertake that sacrifice—let the necessary materials be gathered for me.'
ततस्त ऋत्विजस्तस्य शास्त्रतो द्विजसत्तम। तं देशं मापयामासुर्यज्ञायतनकारणात्
Then the officiating priests, learned in the scriptures, measured out the place for the sacrifice, O best of twice-born, for the purpose of establishing the sacrificial ground.
यथावद्वेदविद्वांसः सर्वे बुद्धेः परंगताः। ऋद्ध्या परमया युक्तमिष्टं द्विजगणैर्युतम्
All the learned Vedic scholars, accomplished in supreme wisdom and endowed with great prosperity, assembled there, along with groups of Brahmins.
प्रभूतधनधान्याढ्यमृत्विग्भिः सुनिषेवितम्। निर्माय चापि विधिवद्यज्ञायतनमीप्सितम्
Abundant with wealth and grain, well-served by officiating priests, they properly constructed the desired sacrificial altar according to the prescribed rites.
राजानं दीक्षयामासुः सर्पसत्राप्तये तदा। इदं चासीत्तत्र पूर्वं सर्पसत्रे भविष्यति
Then they initiated the king for the completion of the serpent-sacrifice; and this was the first event that occurred at the serpent-sacrifice.
निमित्तं महदुत्पन्नं यज्ञविघ्नकरं तदा। यज्ञस्यायतने तस्मिन्क्रियमाणे वचोऽब्रवीत्
At that time, a great omen arose, hindering the sacrifice; as the sacrificial ground was being prepared, a voice was heard.
स्थपतिर्बुद्धिसंपन्नो वास्तुविद्याविशारदः। इत्यब्रवीत्सूत्रधारः सूतः पौराणिकस्तदा
The master builder, wise and skilled in architecture, spoke then—the architect, the charioteer, and the reciter of ancient lore.
यस्मिन्देशे च काले च मापनेयं प्रवर्तिता। ब्राह्मणं कारणं कृत्वा नायं संस्थास्यते क्रतुः
In this place and at this time, since the measuring has begun with a Brahmin as the cause, this sacrifice will not be completed.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु राजासौ प्राग्दीक्षाकालमब्रवीत्। क्षत्तारं न हि मे कश्चिदज्ञातः प्रविशेदिति
Hearing this, the king spoke before the time of initiation: 'Let no one unknown to me enter here, O steward.'
ततः कर्म प्रववृते सर्पसत्रविधानतः। पर्यक्रामंश्च विदिवत्स्वे स्वे कर्मणि याजकाः
Then the work of the serpent-sacrifice began; the priests performed their respective duties according to the proper rites.
प्रावृत्य कृष्णवासांसि धूम्रसंरक्तलोचनाः। जुहुवुर्मन्त्रवच्चैव समिद्धं जातवेदसम्
Clad in black garments, their eyes reddened with smoke, they offered oblations with mantras into the kindled fire.
कम्पयन्तश्च सर्वेषामुरगाणां मनांसि च। सर्पानाजुहुवुस्तत्र सर्वानग्निमुखे तदा
Shaking the minds of all serpents, they summoned all the snakes into the mouth of the fire at that time.
ततः सर्पाः समापेतुः प्रदीप्ते हव्यवाहने। विचेष्टमानाः कृपणमाह्वयन्तः परस्परम्
Then the serpents came together into the blazing sacrificial fire, writhing in distress and calling out to one another.
विस्फुरन्तः श्वसन्तश्च वेष्टयन्तः परस्परम्। पुच्छैः शिरोभिश्च भृशं चित्रभानुं प्रपेदिरे
They quivered, breathed heavily, and coiled around each other; with their tails and heads, they fiercely reached the radiant Bhanu.
श्वेताः कृष्णाश्च नीलाश्च स्थविराः शिशवस्तथा। नदन्तो विविधान्नादान्पेतुर्दीप्ते विभावसौ
White, black, blue, old, and young—making various cries, they rushed into the blazing fire.