परीक्षितसुतं मत्वा तं नृपं समुपागतः । कार्याकार्यं न जानासि समये नृपसत्तम
Thinking of the king as Parikshit's son, he approached him, saying, 'O best of kings, you do not know what should or should not be done at the proper time.'
अकर्तव्यं करोष्यद्य कर्तव्यं न करोषि वै । किं त्वां सम्प्रार्थयाम्यद्य गतामर्षं निरुद्यमम्
'Today you do what should not be done, and you do not do what should be done; why should I entreat you now, who are devoid of anger and effort?'
अवैरज्ञमतन्त्रज्ञं बालचेष्टासमन्वितम् । जनमेजय उवाच किं वैरं न मया ज्ञातं न किं प्रतिकृतं मया
Janamejaya said: I do not know of any enmity, nor have I done anything in return; tell me, O most fortunate one, what enmity or cause there is.
तद्वद त्वं महाभाग करोमि यदनन्तरम् । उत्तङ्क उवाच पिता ते निहतो भूप तक्षकेण दुरात्मना
Uttanka said: Your father, O king, was killed by the wicked Takshaka.
मन्त्रिणस्त्वं समाहूय पृच्छ स्वपितृनाशनम् । सूत उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं राजा पप्रच्छ मन्त्रिसत्तमान्
Call your ministers together and ask them about the destruction of your father.
ऊचुस्ते द्विजशापेन दष्टः सर्पेण वै मृतः । जनमेजय उवाच शापोऽत्र कारणं राज्ञः शप्तस्य मुनिना किल
The ministers said: He was bitten by a snake and died due to the curse of a Brahmin.
तक्षकस्य तु को दोषो ब्रूहि मे मुनिसत्तम । उत्तङ्क उवाच तक्षकेण धनं दत्त्वा कश्यपः सन्निवारितः
Janamejaya said: The curse of the sage is said to be the cause for the king; but tell me, O best of sages, what fault lies with Takshaka?
न स किं तक्षको वैरी पितृहा तव भूपते । भार्या रुरोः पुरा भूप दष्टा सर्पेण सा मृता
Uttanka said: Takshaka bribed Kasyapa and turned him back; so is Takshaka truly your enemy or your father's killer, O king?
अविवाहिता तु मुनिना जीविता च पुनः प्रिया । रुरुणापि कृता तत्र प्रतिज्ञा चातिदारुणा
O king, long ago Ruru's wife was bitten by a snake and died; but the sage did not marry her, and his beloved was brought back to life.
यं यं सर्पं प्रपश्यामि तं तं हन्म्यायुधेन वै । एवं कृत्वा प्रतिज्ञां स शस्त्रपाणी रुरुस्तदा
There Ruru made a terrible vow: 'Whichever snake I see, I will kill with a weapon.'
व्यचरत्पृथिवीं राजन्निघ्नन्सर्पान्यतस्ततः । एकदा स वने घोरं डुण्डुभं जरसान्वितम्
Having made this vow, Ruru, weapon in hand, roamed the earth, killing snakes wherever he found them.
अपश्यद्दण्डमुद्यम्य हन्तुं तं समुपाययौ । अभ्यहन्रुषितो विप्रस्तमुवाचाथ डुण्डुभः
Once, in the forest, he saw a dreadful, aged Dundubha and approached, raising his staff to kill it.
नापराध्नोमि ते विप्र कस्मान्मामभिहंसि वै । रुरुरुवाच प्राणप्रिया मे दयिता दष्टा सर्पेण सा मृता
Angry, the sage struck at it, but the Dundubha spoke: 'I have done you no wrong, O sage; why do you wish to kill me?'
प्रतिज्ञेयं तदा सर्प दुःखितेन मया कृता । डुण्डुभ उवाच नाहं दशामि तेऽन्ये वै ये दशन्ति भुजङ्गमाः
Ruru said: 'My beloved, dear to my life, was bitten by a snake and died; in my grief, I made this vow, O serpent.'
शरीरसमयोगेन न मां हिंसितुमर्हसि । उत्तङ्क उवाच श्रुत्वा तां मानुषीं वाणीं सर्पेणोक्तां मनोहराम्
The Dundubha said: 'I do not bite you; there are other serpents who bite. Because of the nature of my body, you should not harm me.'
रुरुः पप्रच्छ कोऽसि त्वं कस्माद्डुण्डुभतां गतः । सर्प उवाच ब्राह्मणोऽहं पुरा विप्र सखा मे खगमाभिधः
Uttanka said: Hearing those charming human words spoken by the serpent, Ruru asked: 'Who are you, and how did you become a Dundubha?'
विप्रो धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठः सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः । स मया वञ्जितो मौर्ख्यात्सर्पं कृत्वा च तार्णकम्
The serpent said: 'I was once a Brahmin, O sage; my friend was named Khagama, a Brahmin, best among the righteous, truthful, and self-controlled.'
भयं च प्रापितोऽत्यर्थमग्निहोत्रगृहे स्थितः । तेन भीतेन शप्तोऽहं विह्वलेनातिवेपिना
Out of foolishness, I deceived him and made him cross over as a snake, and caused him great fear while he was in the house of the sacred fire.
भव सर्पो मन्दबुद्धे येनाहं धर्षितस्त्वया । मया प्रसादितोऽत्यर्थं सर्पेणासौ द्विजोत्तमः
Terrified, he cursed me, trembling greatly: 'Become a snake, you dull-witted one, for you have wronged me.'
मामुवाचाथ तत्क्रोधात्किञ्चिच्छान्तिमवाप्य च । रुरुस्ते मोचिता शापस्यास्य सर्प भविष्यति
I earnestly entreated him, and then, calmed a little from his anger, that best of Brahmins said to me: 'You will be freed from this curse by Ruru, O serpent.'
प्रमतेस्तु सुतो नूनमिति मां सोऽब्रवीद्वचः । सोऽहं सर्पो रुरुस्त्वं च शृणु मे परमं वचः
He said to me, 'Surely you are the son of Pramati.' I am Ruru, a serpent; listen to my supreme words.
अहिंसा परमो धर्मो विप्राणां नात्र संशयः । दया सर्वत्र कर्तव्या ब्राह्मणेन विजानता
Nonviolence is the highest duty for Brahmins; there is no doubt about this. Compassion must be shown everywhere by the wise Brahmin.
यज्ञादन्यत्र विप्रेन्द्र न हिंसा याज्ञिको मता । सूत उवाच सर्पयोनेर्विनिर्मुक्तो बाह्मणोऽसौ रुरुस्ततः
Except in sacrifice, O best of Brahmins, violence is not considered proper for a Brahmin. Sūta said: Freed from the serpent birth, that Brahmin became Ruru.
कृत्वा तस्य च शापान्तं परित्यक्तं च हिंसनम् । विवाहिता तेन बाला मृता सज्जीविता पुनः
Having ended his curse and abandoned violence, he married the girl; she, once dead, was restored to life.
कदनं सर्वसर्पाणां कृतं वैरमनुस्मरन् । त्वं तु वैरं समुत्सृज्य वर्तसे पन्नगेष्वथ
Recalling the slaughter of all serpents and the enmity created, you, however, have abandoned enmity and live among the serpents.
विमन्युर्भरतश्रेष्ठ पितृघातकरेषु वै । अन्तरिक्षे मृतस्तातः स्नानदानविवर्जितः
Without anger towards those who killed his father, O best of Bharatas, his father died in the sky, deprived of ritual bathing and gifts.
तस्योद्धारं च राजेन्द्र कुरु हत्वाथ पन्नगान् । पितुर्वैरं न जानाति जीवन्नेव मृतो हि सः
O king, perform the rescue for him by killing the serpents. He does not know his father's enmity, for he died while still alive.
दुर्गतिस्ते पितुस्तावद्यावत्तान्न हनिष्यसि । अम्बामखमिषं कृत्वा कुरु यज्ञं नृपोत्तम
Your father's misfortune will remain until you kill them. Perform the sacrifice to Ambā, the supreme goddess, O best of kings.
सर्पसत्रं महाराज पितुर्वैरमनुस्मरन् । सूत उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजा जन्मेजयस्तदा
O great king, remembering your father's enmity, conduct the serpent sacrifice. Sūta said: Hearing these words, King Janamejaya then—
नेत्राभ्यामश्रुपातं च चकारातीव दुःखितः । धिङ्मामस्तु सुदुर्बुद्धेर्वृथा मानकरस्य वै
Tears fell from his eyes, and he was deeply distressed. 'Shame on me, with such poor judgment, who acted vainly.'