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.
तं दृष्ट्वा च तदा कद्रूर्विनतामिदमब्रवीत् । किंवर्णोऽयं हयो भद्रे सत्यं प्रब्रूहि माचिरम्
Then, seeing it, Kadrū said to Vinatā, 'O dear one, what is the color of this horse? Tell me the truth quickly.'
विनतोवाच श्वेत एवाश्वराजोऽयं किं वा त्वं मन्यसे शुभे । ब्रूहि वर्णं त्वमप्यस्य ततस्तु विपणावहे
Vinatā said: 'This king of horses is white. What do you think, O auspicious one? You also tell me its color, and then let us make a wager.'
कद्रुरुवाच कृष्णवर्णमहं मन्ये हयमेनं शुचिस्मिते । एहि सार्धं मया दिव्यं दासीभावाय भामिनि
Kadrū said: 'I think this horse is black in color, O beautiful-smiling one. Come, let us make a divine wager together, and the loser will become the other's servant.'
सूत उवाच कद्रूश्च स्वसुतानाह सर्वान्सर्पान्वशे स्थितान् । बालाञ्छ्यामान्प्रकुर्वन्तु यावतोऽश्वशरीरके
The Sūta said: Kadrū then commanded all her serpent sons, who were obedient to her: 'Make the horse appear dark as much as possible on its body.'
नेति केचन तत्राहुस्तानथासौ शशाप ह । जनमेजयस्य यज्ञे वै गमिष्यथ हुताशनम्
Some of them refused, and she cursed them, saying, 'You will go into the fire at Janamejaya's sacrifice.'
अन्ये चक्रुर्हयं सर्पाः कर्बुरं वर्णभोगकैः । वेष्टयित्वास्य पुच्छं तु मातुः प्रियचिकीर्षया
Other serpents made the horse appear mottled by wrapping their bodies around its tail, wishing to please their mother.
भगिन्यौ च सुसंयुक्ते गत्वा ददृशतुर्हयम् । कर्बुरं तं हयं दृष्ट्वा विनता चातिदुःखिता
The two sisters, closely united, went and saw the horse. Seeing the mottled horse, Vinatā was greatly distressed.
तदाजगाम गरुडः सुतस्तस्या महाबलः । स दृष्ट्वा मातरं दीनामपृच्छत्पन्नगाशनः
At that moment, Garuḍa, her mighty son, arrived. Seeing his mother in distress, the devourer of serpents questioned her.
मातः कथं सुदीनासि रुदितेव विभासि मे । जीवमाने मयि सुते तथान्ये रविसारथौ
'Mother, why are you so dejected? You appear to me as if you are weeping, even though your son is alive, as is the charioteer of the Sun.'
दुःखितासि ततो वां धिग्जीवितं चारुलोचने । किं जातेन सुतेनाथ यदि माता सुदुःखिता
'You are sorrowful, so what is the use of your life, O beautiful-eyed one? What is the point of having a son if the mother is deeply unhappy?'