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.
क्रोशयोजनमात्रा हि गोकर्णस्य प्रमाणतः। पतन्त्यजस्रं वेगेन वह्नावग्निमतां वर
The measure of Gokarna is a krosha in length; they fell ceaselessly with speed into the fire, O best among those endowed with fire.
एवं शतसहस्राणि प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च। अवशानि विनष्टानि पन्नगानां तु तत्र वै
Thus, hundreds of thousands, tens of millions, and crores—helpless and destroyed—of serpents perished there.
तुरगा इव तत्रान्ये हस्तिहस्ता इवापरे। मत्ता इव च मातङ्गा महाकाया महाबलाः
Some were like horses, others like elephants; intoxicated like mad elephants, with great bodies and immense strength.
उच्चावचाश्च बहवो नानावर्णा विषोल्बणाः। घोराश्च परिघप्रख्या दन्दशूका महाबलाः। प्रपेतुरग्नावुरगा मातृवाग्दण्डपीडिताः
Many were tall and short, of various colors, full of venom; fierce as iron clubs, powerful snakes fell into the fire, struck by their mothers' words and the rod.
सर्पसत्रे तदा राज्ञः पाण्डवेयस्य धीमतः। जनमेजयस्य के त्वासन्नृत्विजः परमर्षयः
At the snake sacrifice of the wise Pandava king Janamejaya, who were the officiating priests, O supreme sages?
के सदस्या बभूवुश्च सर्पसत्रे सुदारुणे। विषादजननेऽत्यर्थं पन्नगानां महाभय
Who were the members present at the dreadful snake sacrifice, which caused the birth of poison and great fear among the serpents?
सर्वं विस्तरशस्तात भवाञ्छंसितुमर्हति। सर्पसत्रविधानज्ञविज्ञेयाः के च सूतज
O father, you ought to describe everything in detail; who were the Sutas, knowledgeable in the procedures of the snake sacrifice?
हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि नामानीह मनीषिणाम्। ये ऋत्विजः सदस्याश्च तस्यासन्नृपतेस्तदा
Now, I will tell you the names of the wise men who were the officiating priests and members at that time for the king.
तत्र होता बभूवाथ ब्राह्मणश्चण्डभार्गवः। च्यवनस्यान्वये ख्यातो जातो वेदविदां वरः
There, the Hotṛ was the Brahmana Chandabhargava, renowned in the lineage of Cyavana, born as the foremost among those versed in the Vedas.
उद्गाता ब्राह्मणो वृद्धो विद्वान्कौत्सौऽथ जैमिनिः। ब्र्हमाऽभवच्छार्ङ्गरवोऽथाध्वर्युश्चापि पिङ्गलः
The Udgātṛ was the aged and learned Brahmana Kautsa, and Jaimini; Brahma was Shārngarava, and the Adhvaryu was Pingala.