गतेषु तेषु नागेषु विप्रवेषावृतेषु च । फलान्यादाय राजासौ सचिवानिदमब्रवीत्
When those disguised as Brahmins and the guards had departed, the king took the fruits and said this to his ministers:
सुहृदो भक्षयन्त्वद्य फलान्येतानि सर्वशः । अद्म्यहं चैकमेतद्वै फलं विप्रार्पितं महत्
'Let my friends eat all these fruits today; I myself will eat this one great fruit offered by the Brahmins.'
इत्युक्त्वा तत्फलं दत्त्वा सुहृद्भ्यश्चोत्तरासुतः । करे कृत्वा फलं पक्वं ददार नृपतिः स्वयम्
Having said this, the son of Uttarā gave the fruits to his friends, and taking the ripe fruit in his hand, the king himself split it open.
विदारितं फलं राज्ञा तत्र कृमिरभूदणुः । स कृष्णनयनस्ताम्रो दृष्टो भूपतिना स्वयम्
When the king split open the fruit, there appeared a tiny worm inside, black-eyed and reddish, which the king himself saw.
तं दृष्ट्वा नृपतिः प्राह सचिवान्विस्मितानथ । अस्तमभ्येति सविता विषादद्य न मे भयम्
Seeing that, the king spoke to his astonished ministers: 'The sun is setting; today I have no fear from poison.'
अङ्गीकरोमि तं शापं कृमिको मां दशत्वयम् । एवमुक्त्वा स राजेन्द्रो ग्रीवायां संन्यवेशयत्
'I accept that curse—let this worm bite me.' Having said this, the king placed it upon his neck.
अस्तं याते दिवानाथे धृतः कण्ठेऽथ कीटकः । तक्षकस्तु तदा जातः कालरूपी भयानकः
When the lord of day had set, the worm held fast to his throat; then it became Takṣaka, terrifying and in the form of death.
राजा संवेष्टितस्तेन दष्टश्चापि महीपतिः । मन्त्रिणो विस्मयं प्राप्ता रुरुदुर्भृशदुःखिताः
The king was entwined by it and bitten; the ministers were struck with wonder and wept, overwhelmed by grief.
घोररूपमहिं वीक्ष्य दुद्रुवुस्ते भयार्दिताः । चुक्रुशू रक्षकाः सर्वे हाहाकारो महानभूत्
Seeing the dreadful serpent, they fled in terror; all the guards cried out, and a great clamor arose.
वेष्टितो भोगिभोगेन विनष्टबहुपौरुषः । नोवाच नृपतिः किञ्चिन्न चचालोत्तरासुतः
Enwrapped by the coils of the serpent, his great strength destroyed, the king, son of Uttarā, spoke nothing and did not move.
उत्थिताग्निशिखा घोरा विषजा तक्षकाननात् । प्रजज्वाल नृपं त्वाशु गतप्राणं चकार ह
From Takṣaka's mouth, a fierce, fiery flame arose, burning, and at once consumed the king, taking his life.
हत्वाशु जीवितं राज्ञस्तक्षको गगने गतः । जगद्दग्धं तु कुर्वाणं ददृशुस्तं जना इह
Having swiftly taken the king's life, Takṣaka ascended into the sky; people saw him as if burning up the world.
स पपात गतप्राणो राजा दग्ध इव द्रुमः । चुकुशुश्च जनाः सर्वे मृतं दृष्ट्वा नराधिपम्
The king fell lifeless, like a tree consumed by fire; all the people wailed, seeing the lord of men dead.
सर्पसत्रवर्णनम् सूत उवाच गतप्राणं तु राजानं बालं पुत्रं समीक्ष्य च । चक्रुश्च मन्त्रिणः सर्वे परलोकस्य सत्क्रियाः
Sūta said: Seeing the king lifeless and his young son, all the ministers performed the proper rites for his journey to the next world.
गङ्गातीरे दग्धदेहं भस्मप्रायं महीपतिम् । अगुरुभिश्चाभियुक्तायां चितायामध्यरोपयन्
On the banks of the Ganges, the king's body, reduced to ashes, was placed upon the pyre prepared with aloeswood.
दुर्मरणे मृतस्यास्य चकुश्चैवौर्ध्वदैहिकीम् । क्रियां पुरोहितास्तस्य वेदमन्त्रैर्विधानतः
For the one who had died a difficult death, the priests performed the funeral rites according to the prescribed Vedic mantras.
ददुर्दानानि विप्रेभ्यो गाः सुवर्णं यथोचितम् । अन्नं बहुविधं तत्र वस्त्राणि विविधानि च
They gave gifts to the Brahmins—cows, gold as appropriate, abundant varieties of food, and many kinds of garments.
सुमुहूर्ते सुतं बालं प्रजानां प्रीतिवर्धनम् । सिंहासने शुभे तत्र मन्त्रिणः संन्यवेशयन्
At an auspicious hour, the ministers seated the young son, who increased the joy of the people, upon the splendid throne.
पौरा जानपदा लोकाश्चक्रुस्तं नृपतिं शिशुम् । जनमेजयनामानं राजलक्षणसंयुतम्
The townspeople, villagers, and all the people proclaimed the child Janamejaya, endowed with royal marks, as king.
धात्रेयी शिक्षयामास राजचिह्नानि सर्वशः । दिने दिने वर्धमानः स बभूव महामतिः
The nurse taught him all the royal insignia; day by day, he grew and became a person of great intelligence.
प्राप्ते चैकादशे वर्षे तस्मै कुलपुरोहितः । यथोचितां ददौ विद्यां जग्राह स यथोचिताम्
When he reached his eleventh year, the family priest gave him the proper education, and he received it as was fitting.
धनुर्वेदं कृपः पूर्णं ददावस्मै सुसंस्कृतम् । अर्जुनाय यथा द्रोणः कर्णाय भार्गवो यथा
Kripa gave him the complete and well-prepared science of archery, just as Drona did for Arjuna and Bhargava for Karna.
सम्प्राप्तविद्यो बलवान्वभूव दुरतिक्रमः । धनुर्वेदे तथा वेदे पारगः परमार्थवित्
Having acquired knowledge, he became strong and unconquerable; in archery and the Vedas, he became accomplished and a knower of the highest truth.
धर्मशास्त्रार्थकुशलः सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः । चकार राज्यं धर्मात्मा पुरा धर्मसुतो यथा
Skilled in the meaning of the scriptures of dharma, truthful, self-controlled, he ruled the kingdom righteously, as the son of Dharma once did.
ततः सुवर्णवर्माख्यो राजा काशिपतिः किल । वपुष्टमां शुभा कन्यां ददौ पारीक्षिताय च
Then, the king of Kashi named Suvarnavarma gave his beautiful daughter, radiant in form, to Parikshit's son.
स तां प्राप्यासितापाङ्गीं मुमुदे जनमेजयः । काशिराजसुतां कान्तां प्राप्य राजा यथा पुरा
Janamejaya rejoiced upon receiving her, the dark-eyed daughter of the king of Kashi, just as kings of old rejoiced upon gaining their beloved.
विचित्रवीर्यो मुमुदे सुभद्रां च यथार्जुनः । विजहार महीपालो वनेषूपवनेषु च
Like Vichitravirya rejoiced in Subhadra and Arjuna in her, the king wandered in forests and groves.
तया कमलपत्राक्ष्या शच्या शतक्रतुर्यथा । प्रजास्तस्य सुसन्तुष्टा बभूवुः सुखलालिताः
With her, whose eyes were like lotus petals, just as Shachi was with Indra, his subjects became very content and were cherished in happiness.
मन्त्रिणः कर्मकुशलाश्चक्रुः कार्याणि सर्वशः । एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मुनिरुत्तङ्कनामकः
The ministers, skilled in their duties, accomplished all tasks; at that very time, a sage named Uttanka arrived.
तक्षकेण परिक्लिष्टो हस्तिनापुरमभ्यगात् । वैरस्यापचितिं कोऽस्य प्रकुर्यादिति चिन्तयन्
Afflicted by Takshaka, he came to Hastinapura, pondering who might avenge his enmity.