नश्यंति तूरगैर्दष्टा मनुष्याः पशवस्तथा। यस्मान्मत्प्रभवान्नित्यं क्षयं नयथ मानुषान्
'Humans and cattle bitten by you perish swiftly; since, by my power, you constantly bring destruction to mankind—'
अतोन्यस्मिन्भवे भूयान्ममकोपात्सुदारुणात्। भवतां हि क्षयो घोरो भावि वैवस्वतेंतरे
'Therefore, in this very age, due to my terrible wrath, a dreadful destruction will befall your race in the era of Vaivasvata.'
तथान्यः सोमवंशीयो राजा वै जनमेजयः। धक्ष्यते सर्पसत्रेण प्रदीप्ते हव्यवाहने
'Likewise, another king of the lunar dynasty, Janamejaya, will burn you in the serpent-sacrifice, in the blazing fire.'
मातृष्वसुश्च तनयांस्तार्क्ष्यो वो भक्षयिष्यति। एवं वो भविता नाशः सर्वेषां दुष्टचेतसाम्
'And Garuḍa will devour your sons and maternal uncles; thus, destruction will come to all of you with evil minds.'
शप्त्वा कुलसहस्रं तु यावदेकं कुलं स्थितम्। एवमुक्ते तु वेपंतो ब्रह्मणा भुजगोत्तमाः
Having cursed a thousand serpent clans until only one remained, when Brahmā had spoken thus, the foremost serpents trembled.
निपत्य पादयोस्तस्य इदमूचुर्वचस्तदा। भगवन्कुटिला जातिरस्माकं भूतभावन
Falling at his feet, they then spoke these words: 'Lord, you who bring forth beings, our nature is crooked—'
विषोल्बणत्वं क्रूरत्वं दंदशूकत्वमेव च। संपादितं त्वया देव इदानीं शपसे कथं
'You yourself, O Lord, have made us full of poison, cruel, and with biting fangs; why do you now curse us?'
ब्रह्मोवाच। यदि नाम मया सृष्टा भवंतः कुटिलाशयाः। ततः किं बहुना नित्यं भक्षयध्वं गतव्यथाः
Brahmā said: 'Even if I created you with crooked intent, then what? Continue to devour freely, without fear.'
नागा ऊचुः। मर्यादां कुरु देवेश स्थानं चैव पृथक्पृथक्। मनुष्याणां तथास्माकं समयं देव कारय
The serpents said: 'O Lord of gods, establish boundaries and separate places for humans and for us; make an agreement, O Lord.'
शापो यो भवता दत्तो मनुष्यो जनमेजयः। नाशं नः सर्पसत्रेण उल्बणं च करिष्यति
'The curse you have given, that the human Janamejaya will destroy us in the serpent-sacrifice, will bring about our utter ruin.'
ब्रह्मोवाच। जरत्कारुरिति ख्यातो भविता ब्रह्मवित्तमः। जरत्कन्या तस्य देया तस्यामुत्पत्स्यते सुतः
Brahma said: One renowned as Jaratkaru, foremost knower of Brahman, will be born. The maiden Jaratkaru should be given to him; from her a son will be born.
रक्षां कर्ता स वो विप्रो भवतां कुलपावनः। तथा करोमि नागानां समयं मनुजैः सह
That Brāhmaṇa, purifier of your lineage, will protect you. Thus I establish an agreement between the Nāgas and humans.
तदेकमनसः सर्वे शृणुध्वं मम शासनम्। सुतलं वितलं चैव तृतीयं च तलातलम्
Therefore, all of you, listen attentively to my command: Sutala, Vitala, and the third, Talātala—
दत्तं च त्रिप्रकारं वो गृहं तत्र गमिष्यथ। तत्र भोगान्बहुविधान्भुंजाना मम शासनात्
These three kinds of abodes have been given to you; there you shall go. There, by my command, you will enjoy many kinds of pleasures.
तिष्ठध्वं सप्तमं यावत्कालं तं तु पुनःपुनः। ततो वैवस्वतस्यादौ काश्यपेयो भविष्यति
Remain there until the seventh period of time; then, again, at the beginning of Vaivasvata’s era, a descendant of Kaśyapa will arise.
दायादः सर्वदेवानां सुपर्णस्सर्पभक्षकः। तदा प्रसूतिः सर्पाणां दग्धा वै चित्रभानुना
He will be the heir of all the gods, Suparṇa, the devourer of serpents. Then, the offspring of the serpents will be consumed by the radiant one.
भवतां चैव सर्वेषां भविष्यति न संशयः। ये ये क्रूरा भोगिनो दुर्विनीतास्तेषामंतो भाविता नान्यथैतत्
For all of you, this will certainly come to pass—there is no doubt. All those serpents who are cruel and unruly will meet their end; it cannot be otherwise.
कालव्याप्तं भक्षयध्वं च सत्वं तथापकारे चकृते मनुष्यम्। मंत्रौषधैर्गारुडैश्चैव तंत्रैर्बंधैर्जुष्टा मानवा ये भवंति
Devour living beings as ordained by time, and likewise when harm is done to you by humans. Those humans who are protected by mantras, medicines, Garuḍa charms, and bindings—
तेभ्यो भीतैर्वर्तितव्यं न चान्यच्चित्ते कार्यं चान्यथा वो विनाशः। इतीरिते ब्रह्मणा वै भुजंगा जग्मुः स्थानं सुतलाख्यं हि सर्वे
You must live in fear of them, and do not let your minds turn elsewhere; otherwise, destruction will come upon you. Thus instructed by Brahmā, all the serpents went to the place called Sutala.
तस्थुर्भोगान्भुंजमानाश्च सर्वे रसातले लीलया संस्थितास्ते। एवं शापं तुते लब्ध्वाप्रसादं च चतुर्मुखात्
There, all of them remained, delighting in various pleasures, playfully established in Rasātala. Thus, having received both the curse and the favor from the Four-Faced One—
तस्थुः पातालनिलये मुदितेनांतरात्मना। ततः कालांत रेभूते पुनरेवं व्यचिंतयन्
They stayed in the abode of Pātāla, inwardly content. Then, as time passed, they again reflected thus:
भविता भरतो राजा पांडवेयो महायशाः। अस्माकं तु क्षयकरो दैवयोगेन केनचित्
A king named Bharata, of the Pāṇḍava line and great fame, will arise; by some divine arrangement, he will bring about our destruction.
कथं त्रिभुवने नाथः सर्वेषां च पितामहः। सृष्टिकर्ता जगद्वंद्यः शापमस्मासु दत्तवान्
How is it that the Lord of the three worlds, the Grandsire of all, the creator of beings, worshipped by the universe, has placed a curse upon us?
देवं विरंचिनं त्यक्त्वा गतिरन्या न विद्यते। वैराजे भवनश्रेष्ठे तत्र देवः स तिष्ठति
Apart from the god Viśvacina, there is no other refuge. In the splendid mansion of Vairāja, that god resides.
स देवः पुष्करस्थो वै यज्ञं यजति सांप्रतम्। गत्वा प्रसादयामस्तं वरं तुष्टः प्रदास्यति1.31.
That god, now dwelling at Puṣkara, is performing a sacrifice. Let us go and propitiate him; if pleased, he will grant us a boon.
एवं विचिंत्य ते सर्वे नागा गत्वा च पुष्करम्। यज्ञपर्वतमासाद्य शैलभित्तिमुपाश्रिताः
Having thus resolved, all the Nāgas went to Puṣkara. Reaching the mountain of sacrifice, they took shelter at the rocky slope.
दृष्ट्वा नागांस्तथा श्रान्तान्वारिधाराश्च शीतलाः। उदङ्मुखा वै निष्क्रांतास्सर्वेषां तु सुखप्रदाः
Seeing the Nāgas thus exhausted, cool streams of water flowed forth, emerging northward, bringing comfort to all.
नागतीर्थं ततो जातं पृथिव्यां भरतर्षभ। नागकुंडं च वै केचित्सरितं चापरेऽब्रुवन्
From that, O best of the Bharatas, the Nāga-tīrtha arose on earth. Some called it Nāga-kuṇḍa, and others spoke of it as a river.
पुण्यं तत्सर्वतीर्थानां सर्पाणां विषनाशनम्। मज्जन्ति तत्र ये मर्त्या अधिश्रावण पंचमि
That holy place of all the sacred waters destroys the poison of serpents; those mortals who bathe there on the fifth day of the bright fortnight,
न तेषां तु कुले सर्पाः पीडां कुर्वन्ति कर्हिचित्। श्राद्धं पितॄणां ये तत्र करिष्यंति नरा भुवि
In their lineage, serpents never cause suffering at any time; those men who perform the ancestral rites for their forefathers there on earth,