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.
व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि पुराणं गुह्यमद्भुतम् । पुण्यं भागवतं नाम नानाख्यानयुतं शिवम्
Vyāsa said: 'Hear, O king, I will tell you the ancient, secret, and wondrous Purāṇa, called the Bhāgavata, filled with many stories and auspicious.'
अध्यापितं मया पूर्वं शुकायात्मसुताय वै । श्रावयामि नृप त्वां हि रहस्यं परमं मम
'I previously taught it to my son Śuka; now, O king, I will recite to you my supreme secret.'
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां कारणं श्रवणात्किल । शुभद सुखदं नित्यं सर्वागमसमुद्धृतम्
'By hearing it, one attains the purposes of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa; it always brings auspiciousness and happiness, and is drawn from all the scriptures.'
जनमेजय उवाच आस्तीकोऽयं सुतः कस्य विघ्नार्थं कथमागतः । प्रयोजनं किमत्रास्य सर्पाणां रक्षणे प्रभो
Janamejaya said: 'Whose son is this Āstīka, and for what purpose did he come to obstruct? What was his intention in protecting the serpents, O lord?'
कथयैतन्महाभाग विस्तरेण कथानकम् । पुराणं च तथा सर्वं विस्तराद्वद सुव्रत
'Tell me this story in detail, O blessed one, and also narrate the entire Purāṇa at length, O virtuous one.'
व्यास उवाच जरत्कारुर्मुनिः शान्तो न चकार गृहाश्रमम् । तेन दृष्टा वने गर्ते लम्बमाना स्वपूर्वजाः
Vyāsa said: 'The sage Jaratkāru, peaceful, did not enter the householder's life; in the forest he saw his ancestors hanging in a pit.'
ततस्तमाहुः कुरु पुत्र दारा- न्यथा च नः स्यात्परमा हि तृप्तिः । स्वर्गे व्रजामः खलु दुःखमुक्ता वयं सदाचारयुते सुते वै
Then they said, 'O son of Kuru, take a wife for yourself; otherwise, we will not be fully satisfied. If you have a son who follows good conduct, we will go to heaven, freed from sorrow.'
स तानुवाचाथ लभे समाना- मयाचितां चातिवशानुगां च । तदा गृहारम्भमहं करोमि ब्रवीमि तथ्यं मम पूर्वजा वै
He replied to them, 'When I obtain a wife who is equal to me, whom I have sought and who is truly devoted, then I will begin household life. I speak the truth, O my elders.'
इत्युक्त्वा ताञ्जरत्कारुर्गतस्तीर्थान्प्रति द्विजः । तदैव पन्नगाः शप्ता मात्राग्नौ निपतन्त्विति
Having spoken thus, the sage Jaratkāru, the twice-born, departed for the holy places. At that very moment, the serpents were cursed by their mother: 'Let them fall into the fire!'
कश्यपस्य मुनेः पत्न्यौ कद्रूश्च विनता तथा । दृष्ट्वादित्यरथे चाश्वमूचतुश्च परस्परम्
The wives of the sage Kaśyapa, Kadrū and Vinatā, saw the horse on the chariot of the Sun and spoke to each other.