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,
ब्रह्मा तेषां परं स्थानं दास्यते नात्र संशयः। नागानां तु भयं ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः
For them, Brahmā will grant the highest abode—of this there is no doubt; knowing the fear of the serpents, Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds,
पूर्वोक्तं तु पुनर्वाक्यं नागानश्रावयत्तदा। पंचमी सा तिथिर्धन्या सर्वपापहरा शुभा
Again spoke the previously mentioned words to the serpents at that time: 'That fifth lunar day is blessed, auspicious, and removes all sins.'
यतोऽस्यामेव सुतिथौ नागानां कार्यमुद्धृतम्। एतस्यां सर्वतो यस्तु कट्वम्लं परिवर्जयेत्
Because on that very sacred day, the task concerning the serpents was accomplished; on that day, whoever avoids pungent and sour foods in every way,
क्षीरेण स्नापयेन्नागांस्तस्य ते यांति मित्रताम्। भीष्म उवाच। शिवदूती यथा जाता येन चैव निवेशिता
And bathes the serpents with milk, those serpents become friendly to him. Bhīṣma said: 'How did Śivadūtī arise, and by whom was she established?'
तन्मे सर्वं यथातत्त्वं भवान्शंसितुर्महति। पुलस्त्य उवाच। शिवा नीलगिरिं प्राप्ता तपसे धृतमानसा
'Tell me all of this in its true nature, O great one.' Pulastya said: 'Śivā, with her mind set on austerity, reached the blue mountain.'
रौद्री जटोद्भवा शक्तिस्तस्याः शृणु नृप व्रतम्। तपः कृत्वा चिरं कालं ग्रसिष्याम्यखिलं जगत्
'The fierce one, born from matted locks, is her power; hear, O king, her vow: Having performed austerity for a long time, I will consume the entire world.'
एवमुद्दिश्य पंचाग्निं साधयामास भामिनी। तस्याः कालांतरे देव्यास्तपंत्यास्तप उत्तमम्
With this resolve, the radiant goddess undertook the five-fire austerity; at another time, while that goddess was performing supreme penance,
रुरुर्नाममहातेजा ब्रह्मदत्तवरोऽसुरः। समुद्रमध्ये रत्नाख्यं पुरमस्ति महाधनम्
There was an asura named Ruru, of great splendor, who had received a boon from Brahmā; in the midst of the ocean is a city called Ratna, exceedingly wealthy.
तत्रातिष्ठत्स दैत्येंद्रस्सर्वदेवभयंकरः। अनेक शतसाहस्र कोटिकोटिशतोत्तमैः
There that lord of the Daityas resided, terrifying to all the gods, attended by countless hundreds of thousands and crores of the best asuras.
असुरैरर्चितः श्रीमान्द्वितीयो नमुचिर्यथा। कालेन महता सोऽथ लोकपालपुरं ययौ
Honored by the asuras, glorious like a second Namuci; after a long time, he went to the city of the guardians of the worlds.