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.'
पिता यस्य गतिं घोरां प्राप्तः पन्नगपीडितः । अद्याहं मखमारभ्य करोम्यपचितिं पितुः
Whose father has met a terrible fate, afflicted by serpents, today I will begin the sacrifice and make amends to my father.
हत्वा सर्पानसन्दिग्धो दीप्यमाने विभावसौ । आहूय मन्त्रिणः सर्वान् राजा वचनमब्रवीत्
Having killed the serpents without doubt, as the fire blazes, the king summoned all his ministers and spoke these words.
कुर्वन्तु यज्ञसम्भारं यथार्हं मन्त्रिसत्तमाः । गङ्गातीरे शुभां भूमिं मापयित्वा द्विजोत्तमैः
Let the best ministers prepare the sacrificial materials as appropriate. Let them mark out a pure land on the bank of the Ganges with the foremost Brahmins.
कुर्वन्तु मण्डपं स्वस्थाः शतस्तम्भं मनोहरम् । वेदी यज्ञस्य कर्तव्या ममाद्य सचिवाः खलु
Let them build a splendid pavilion with a hundred pillars, in good order. My ministers must prepare the altar for the sacrifice today.
तदङ्गत्वे विधेयो वै सर्पसत्रः सुविस्तरः । तक्षकस्तु पशुस्तत्र होतोत्तङ्को महामुनिः
For that purpose, a vast serpent sacrifice must be arranged. Takṣaka will be the sacrificial animal there, and the great sage Uttanka will be the chief priest.
शीघ्रमाहूयतां विप्राः सर्वज्ञा वेदपारगाः । सूत उवाच मन्त्रिणस्तु तदा चक्रुर्भूपवाक्यैर्विचक्षणाः
Quickly summon the Brahmins, all-knowing and versed in the Vedas. Sūta said: Then the wise ministers acted according to the king's words.
यज्ञस्य सर्वसम्भारं वेदीं यज्ञस्य विस्तृताम् । हवने वर्तमाने तु सर्पाणां तक्षको गतः
They prepared all the sacrificial materials and the extensive altar for the sacrifice. While the offering was underway, Takṣaka among the serpents fled.
इन्द्रं प्रति भयार्तोऽहं त्राहि मामिति चाब्रवीत् । भयभीतं समाश्वास्य स्वासने सन्निवेश्य च
Frightened, he said to Indra, 'Save me!' Comforting the terrified one, Indra seated him on his own throne.
ददावभयमत्यर्थं निर्भयो भव पन्नग । तमिन्द्रशरणं ज्ञात्वा मुनिर्दत्ताभयं तथा
He granted him complete freedom from fear, saying, 'Be fearless, serpent.' Knowing that he had taken refuge with Indra, the sage thus gave him assurance of safety.
उत्तङ्कोऽह्वयदुद्विग्नः सेन्द्रं कृत्वा निमन्त्रणम् । स्मृतस्तदा तक्षकेण यायावरकुलोद्भवः
Uttaṅka, disturbed, summoned Indra and invited him; at that time, Takṣaka remembered the wandering sage who had arisen from the line of Yāyāvara.
आस्तीको नाम धर्मात्मा जरत्कारुसुतो मुनिः । तत्रागत्य मुनेर्बालस्तुष्टाव जनमेजयम्
A sage named Āstīka, righteous and devoted to dharma, son of Jaratkāru, came there; the boy praised Janamejaya.
राजा तमर्चयामास दृष्ट्वा बालं सुपण्डितम् । अर्चयित्वा नृपस्तं तु छन्दयामास वाञ्छितैः
The king, seeing the learned boy, honored him; after showing him due respect, the king invited him to ask for whatever he wished.
स तु वव्रे महाभाग यज्ञोऽयं विरमत्विति । सत्यबद्धो नृपस्तेन प्रार्थितश्च पुनस्तथा
That blessed one requested, 'Let this great sacrifice cease.' Bound by his word, the king was again entreated in the same way.
होमं निवर्तयामास सर्पाणां मुनिवाक्यतः । भारतं श्रावयामास वैशम्पायन विस्तरात्
At the sage's words, he stopped the offering of serpents; Vaiśampāyana then recited the Bhārata in detail.
श्रुत्वापि नृपतिः कामं न शान्तिमभिजग्मिवान् । व्यासं पप्रच्छ भूपालो मम शान्तिः कथं भवेत्
Even after hearing it, the king did not attain peace as he wished; the ruler asked Vyāsa, 'How can I find tranquility?'
मनोऽतिदह्यते कामं किं करोमि वदस्व मे । पिता मे दुर्भगस्यैव मृतः पार्थसुतात्मजः
'My mind burns intensely with desire; tell me, what should I do? My unfortunate father was killed by the son of Parikṣit.'
क्षत्रियाणां महाभाग सङ्ग्रामे मरणं वरम् । रणे वा मरणं व्यास गृहे वा विधिपूर्वकम्
'O blessed one, for kṣatriyas, death in battle is best—whether in combat, Vyāsa, or at home according to destiny.'
मरणं न पितुर्मेऽभूदन्तरिक्षे मृतोऽवशः । शान्त्युपायं वदस्वात्र त्वं च सत्यवतीसुत
'My father did not die in battle; he perished helplessly in the sky. O son of Satyavatī, tell me the means for his peace.'
यथा स्वर्गं व्रजेदाशु पिता मे दुर्गतिं गतः
'How might my father, who has fallen into misfortune, quickly attain heaven?'
श्रोतृप्रवक्तृप्रसङ्गः सूत उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । उवाच वचनं तत्र सभायां नृपतिं च तम्
Sūta said: Hearing his words, Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, spoke to the king in that assembly.