Second Skandha · Chapter 11
Sourceसूत उवाच गतप्राणं तु राजानं बालं पुत्रं समीक्ष्य च । चक्रुश्च मन्त्रिणः सर्वे परलोकस्य सत्क्रियाः ॥ १ ॥ गङ्गातीरे दग्धदेहं भस्मप्रायं महीपतिम् । अगुरुभिश्चाभियुक्तायां चितायामध्यरोपयन् ॥ २ ॥ दुर्मरणे मृतस्यास्य चकुश्चैवौर्ध्वदैहिकीम् । क्रियां पुरोहितास्तस्य वेदमन्त्रैर्विधानतः ॥ ३ ॥ ददुर्दानानि विप्रेभ्यो गाः सुवर्णं यथोचितम् । अन्नं बहुविधं तत्र वस्त्राणि विविधानि च ॥ ४ ॥ सुमुहूर्ते सुतं बालं प्रजानां प्रीतिवर्धनम् । सिंहासने शुभे तत्र मन्त्रिणः संन्यवेशयन् ॥ ५ ॥ पौरा जानपदा लोकाश्चक्रुस्तं नृपतिं शिशुम् । जनमेजयनामानं राजलक्षणसंयुतम् ॥ ६ ॥ धात्रेयी शिक्षयामास राजचिह्नानि सर्वशः । दिने दिने वर्धमानः स बभूव महामतिः ॥ ७ ॥ प्राप्ते चैकादशे वर्षे तस्मै कुलपुरोहितः । यथोचितां ददौ विद्यां जग्राह स यथोचिताम् ॥ ८ ॥ धनुर्वेदं कृपः पूर्णं ददावस्मै सुसंस्कृतम् । अर्जुनाय यथा द्रोणः कर्णाय भार्गवो यथा ॥ ९ ॥ सम्प्राप्तविद्यो बलवान्वभूव दुरतिक्रमः । धनुर्वेदे तथा वेदे पारगः परमार्थवित् ॥ १० ॥ धर्मशास्त्रार्थकुशलः सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः । चकार राज्यं धर्मात्मा पुरा धर्मसुतो यथा ॥ ११ ॥ ततः सुवर्णवर्माख्यो राजा काशिपतिः किल । वपुष्टमां शुभा कन्यां ददौ पारीक्षिताय च ॥ १२ ॥ स तां प्राप्यासितापाङ्गीं मुमुदे जनमेजयः । काशिराजसुतां कान्तां प्राप्य राजा यथा पुरा ॥ १३ ॥ विचित्रवीर्यो मुमुदे सुभद्रां च यथार्जुनः । विजहार महीपालो वनेषूपवनेषु च ॥ १४ ॥ तया कमलपत्राक्ष्या शच्या शतक्रतुर्यथा । प्रजास्तस्य सुसन्तुष्टा बभूवुः सुखलालिताः ॥ १५ ॥ मन्त्रिणः कर्मकुशलाश्चक्रुः कार्याणि सर्वशः । एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मुनिरुत्तङ्कनामकः ॥ १६ ॥ तक्षकेण परिक्लिष्टो हस्तिनापुरमभ्यगात् । वैरस्यापचितिं कोऽस्य प्रकुर्यादिति चिन्तयन् ॥ १७ ॥ परीक्षितसुतं मत्वा तं नृपं समुपागतः । कार्याकार्यं न जानासि समये नृपसत्तम ॥ १८ ॥ अकर्तव्यं करोष्यद्य कर्तव्यं न करोषि वै । किं त्वां सम्प्रार्थयाम्यद्य गतामर्षं निरुद्यमम् ॥ १९ ॥ अवैरज्ञमतन्त्रज्ञं बालचेष्टासमन्वितम् । जनमेजय उवाच किं वैरं न मया ज्ञातं न किं प्रतिकृतं मया ॥ २० ॥ तद्वद त्वं महाभाग करोमि यदनन्तरम् । उत्तङ्क उवाच पिता ते निहतो भूप तक्षकेण दुरात्मना ॥ २१ ॥ मन्त्रिणस्त्वं समाहूय पृच्छ स्वपितृनाशनम् । सूत उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं राजा पप्रच्छ मन्त्रिसत्तमान् ॥ २२ ॥ ऊचुस्ते द्विजशापेन दष्टः सर्पेण वै मृतः । जनमेजय उवाच शापोऽत्र कारणं राज्ञः शप्तस्य मुनिना किल ॥ २३ ॥ तक्षकस्य तु को दोषो ब्रूहि मे मुनिसत्तम । उत्तङ्क उवाच तक्षकेण धनं दत्त्वा कश्यपः सन्निवारितः ॥ २४ ॥ न स किं तक्षको वैरी पितृहा तव भूपते । भार्या रुरोः पुरा भूप दष्टा सर्पेण सा मृता ॥ २५ ॥ अविवाहिता तु मुनिना जीविता च पुनः प्रिया । रुरुणापि कृता तत्र प्रतिज्ञा चातिदारुणा ॥ २६ ॥ यं यं सर्पं प्रपश्यामि तं तं हन्म्यायुधेन वै । एवं कृत्वा प्रतिज्ञां स शस्त्रपाणी रुरुस्तदा ॥ २७ ॥ व्यचरत्पृथिवीं राजन्निघ्नन्सर्पान्यतस्ततः । एकदा स वने घोरं डुण्डुभं जरसान्वितम् ॥ २८ ॥ अपश्यद्दण्डमुद्यम्य हन्तुं तं समुपाययौ । अभ्यहन्रुषितो विप्रस्तमुवाचाथ डुण्डुभः ॥ २९ ॥ नापराध्नोमि ते विप्र कस्मान्मामभिहंसि वै । रुरुरुवाच प्राणप्रिया मे दयिता दष्टा सर्पेण सा मृता ॥ ३० ॥ प्रतिज्ञेयं तदा सर्प दुःखितेन मया कृता । डुण्डुभ उवाच नाहं दशामि तेऽन्ये वै ये दशन्ति भुजङ्गमाः ॥ ३१ ॥ शरीरसमयोगेन न मां हिंसितुमर्हसि । उत्तङ्क उवाच श्रुत्वा तां मानुषीं वाणीं सर्पेणोक्तां मनोहराम् ॥ ३२ ॥ रुरुः पप्रच्छ कोऽसि त्वं कस्माद्डुण्डुभतां गतः । सर्प उवाच ब्राह्मणोऽहं पुरा विप्र सखा मे खगमाभिधः ॥ ३३ ॥ विप्रो धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठः सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः । स मया वञ्जितो मौर्ख्यात्सर्पं कृत्वा च तार्णकम् ॥ ३४ ॥ भयं च प्रापितोऽत्यर्थमग्निहोत्रगृहे स्थितः । तेन भीतेन शप्तोऽहं विह्वलेनातिवेपिना ॥ ३५ ॥ भव सर्पो मन्दबुद्धे येनाहं धर्षितस्त्वया । मया प्रसादितोऽत्यर्थं सर्पेणासौ द्विजोत्तमः ॥ ३६ ॥ मामुवाचाथ तत्क्रोधात्किञ्चिच्छान्तिमवाप्य च । रुरुस्ते मोचिता शापस्यास्य सर्प भविष्यति ॥ ३७ ॥ प्रमतेस्तु सुतो नूनमिति मां सोऽब्रवीद्वचः । सोऽहं सर्पो रुरुस्त्वं च शृणु मे परमं वचः ॥ ३८ ॥ अहिंसा परमो धर्मो विप्राणां नात्र संशयः । दया सर्वत्र कर्तव्या ब्राह्मणेन विजानता ॥ ३९ ॥ यज्ञादन्यत्र विप्रेन्द्र न हिंसा याज्ञिको मता । सूत उवाच सर्पयोनेर्विनिर्मुक्तो बाह्मणोऽसौ रुरुस्ततः ॥ ४० ॥ कृत्वा तस्य च शापान्तं परित्यक्तं च हिंसनम् । विवाहिता तेन बाला मृता सज्जीविता पुनः ॥ ४१ ॥ कदनं सर्वसर्पाणां कृतं वैरमनुस्मरन् । त्वं तु वैरं समुत्सृज्य वर्तसे पन्नगेष्वथ ॥ ४२ ॥ विमन्युर्भरतश्रेष्ठ पितृघातकरेषु वै । अन्तरिक्षे मृतस्तातः स्नानदानविवर्जितः ॥ ४३ ॥ तस्योद्धारं च राजेन्द्र कुरु हत्वाथ पन्नगान् । पितुर्वैरं न जानाति जीवन्नेव मृतो हि सः ॥ ४४ ॥ दुर्गतिस्ते पितुस्तावद्यावत्तान्न हनिष्यसि । अम्बामखमिषं कृत्वा कुरु यज्ञं नृपोत्तम ॥ ४५ ॥ सर्पसत्रं महाराज पितुर्वैरमनुस्मरन् । सूत उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजा जन्मेजयस्तदा ॥ ४६ ॥ नेत्राभ्यामश्रुपातं च चकारातीव दुःखितः । धिङ्मामस्तु सुदुर्बुद्धेर्वृथा मानकरस्य वै ॥ ४७ ॥ पिता यस्य गतिं घोरां प्राप्तः पन्नगपीडितः । अद्याहं मखमारभ्य करोम्यपचितिं पितुः ॥ ४८ ॥ हत्वा सर्पानसन्दिग्धो दीप्यमाने विभावसौ । आहूय मन्त्रिणः सर्वान् राजा वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ ४९ ॥ कुर्वन्तु यज्ञसम्भारं यथार्हं मन्त्रिसत्तमाः । गङ्गातीरे शुभां भूमिं मापयित्वा द्विजोत्तमैः ॥ ५० ॥ कुर्वन्तु मण्डपं स्वस्थाः शतस्तम्भं मनोहरम् । वेदी यज्ञस्य कर्तव्या ममाद्य सचिवाः खलु ॥ ५१ ॥ तदङ्गत्वे विधेयो वै सर्पसत्रः सुविस्तरः । तक्षकस्तु पशुस्तत्र होतोत्तङ्को महामुनिः ॥ ५२ ॥ शीघ्रमाहूयतां विप्राः सर्वज्ञा वेदपारगाः । सूत उवाच मन्त्रिणस्तु तदा चक्रुर्भूपवाक्यैर्विचक्षणाः ॥ ५३ ॥ यज्ञस्य सर्वसम्भारं वेदीं यज्ञस्य विस्तृताम् । हवने वर्तमाने तु सर्पाणां तक्षको गतः ॥ ५४ ॥ इन्द्रं प्रति भयार्तोऽहं त्राहि मामिति चाब्रवीत् । भयभीतं समाश्वास्य स्वासने सन्निवेश्य च ॥ ५५ ॥ ददावभयमत्यर्थं निर्भयो भव पन्नग । तमिन्द्रशरणं ज्ञात्वा मुनिर्दत्ताभयं तथा ॥ ५६ ॥ उत्तङ्कोऽह्वयदुद्विग्नः सेन्द्रं कृत्वा निमन्त्रणम् । स्मृतस्तदा तक्षकेण यायावरकुलोद्भवः ॥ ५७ ॥ आस्तीको नाम धर्मात्मा जरत्कारुसुतो मुनिः । तत्रागत्य मुनेर्बालस्तुष्टाव जनमेजयम् ॥ ५८ ॥ राजा तमर्चयामास दृष्ट्वा बालं सुपण्डितम् । अर्चयित्वा नृपस्तं तु छन्दयामास वाञ्छितैः ॥ ५९ ॥ स तु वव्रे महाभाग यज्ञोऽयं विरमत्विति । सत्यबद्धो नृपस्तेन प्रार्थितश्च पुनस्तथा ॥ ६० ॥ होमं निवर्तयामास सर्पाणां मुनिवाक्यतः । भारतं श्रावयामास वैशम्पायन विस्तरात् ॥ ६१ ॥ श्रुत्वापि नृपतिः कामं न शान्तिमभिजग्मिवान् । व्यासं पप्रच्छ भूपालो मम शान्तिः कथं भवेत् ॥ ६२ ॥ मनोऽतिदह्यते कामं किं करोमि वदस्व मे । पिता मे दुर्भगस्यैव मृतः पार्थसुतात्मजः ॥ ६३ ॥ क्षत्रियाणां महाभाग सङ्ग्रामे मरणं वरम् । रणे वा मरणं व्यास गृहे वा विधिपूर्वकम् ॥ ६४ ॥ मरणं न पितुर्मेऽभूदन्तरिक्षे मृतोऽवशः । शान्त्युपायं वदस्वात्र त्वं च सत्यवतीसुत ॥ ६५ ॥ यथा स्वर्गं व्रजेदाशु पिता मे दुर्गतिं गतः ॥ ६६ ॥
sūta uvāca gataprāṇaṃ tu rājānaṃ bālaṃ putraṃ samīkṣya ca | cakruśca mantriṇaḥ sarve paralokasya satkriyāḥ || 1 || gaṅgātīre dagdhadehaṃ bhasmaprāyaṃ mahīpatim | agurubhiścābhiyuktāyāṃ citāyāmadhyaropayan || 2 || durmaraṇe mṛtasyāsya cakuścaivaurdhvadaihikīm | kriyāṃ purohitāstasya vedamantrairvidhānataḥ || 3 || dadurdānāni viprebhyo gāḥ suvarṇaṃ yathocitam | annaṃ bahuvidhaṃ tatra vastrāṇi vividhāni ca || 4 || sumuhūrte sutaṃ bālaṃ prajānāṃ prītivardhanam | siṃhāsane śubhe tatra mantriṇaḥ saṃnyaveśayan || 5 || paurā jānapadā lokāścakrustaṃ nṛpatiṃ śiśum | janamejayanāmānaṃ rājalakṣaṇasaṃyutam || 6 || dhātreyī śikṣayāmāsa rājacihnāni sarvaśaḥ | dine dine vardhamānaḥ sa babhūva mahāmatiḥ || 7 || prāpte caikādaśe varṣe tasmai kulapurohitaḥ | yathocitāṃ dadau vidyāṃ jagrāha sa yathocitām || 8 || dhanurvedaṃ kṛpaḥ pūrṇaṃ dadāvasmai susaṃskṛtam | arjunāya yathā droṇaḥ karṇāya bhārgavo yathā || 9 || samprāptavidyo balavānvabhūva duratikramaḥ | dhanurvede tathā vede pāragaḥ paramārthavit || 10 || dharmaśāstrārthakuśalaḥ satyavādī jitendriyaḥ | cakāra rājyaṃ dharmātmā purā dharmasuto yathā || 11 || tataḥ suvarṇavarmākhyo rājā kāśipatiḥ kila | vapuṣṭamāṃ śubhā kanyāṃ dadau pārīkṣitāya ca || 12 || sa tāṃ prāpyāsitāpāṅgīṃ mumude janamejayaḥ | kāśirājasutāṃ kāntāṃ prāpya rājā yathā purā || 13 || vicitravīryo mumude subhadrāṃ ca yathārjunaḥ | vijahāra mahīpālo vaneṣūpavaneṣu ca || 14 || tayā kamalapatrākṣyā śacyā śatakraturyathā | prajāstasya susantuṣṭā babhūvuḥ sukhalālitāḥ || 15 || mantriṇaḥ karmakuśalāścakruḥ kāryāṇi sarvaśaḥ | etasminneva kāle tu muniruttaṅkanāmakaḥ || 16 || takṣakeṇa parikliṣṭo hastināpuramabhyagāt | vairasyāpacitiṃ ko'sya prakuryāditi cintayan || 17 || parīkṣitasutaṃ matvā taṃ nṛpaṃ samupāgataḥ | kāryākāryaṃ na jānāsi samaye nṛpasattama || 18 || akartavyaṃ karoṣyadya kartavyaṃ na karoṣi vai | kiṃ tvāṃ samprārthayāmyadya gatāmarṣaṃ nirudyamam || 19 || avairajñamatantrajñaṃ bālaceṣṭāsamanvitam | janamejaya uvāca kiṃ vairaṃ na mayā jñātaṃ na kiṃ pratikṛtaṃ mayā || 20 || tadvada tvaṃ mahābhāga karomi yadanantaram | uttaṅka uvāca pitā te nihato bhūpa takṣakeṇa durātmanā || 21 || mantriṇastvaṃ samāhūya pṛccha svapitṛnāśanam | sūta uvāca tacchrutvā vacanaṃ rājā papraccha mantrisattamān || 22 || ūcuste dvijaśāpena daṣṭaḥ sarpeṇa vai mṛtaḥ | janamejaya uvāca śāpo'tra kāraṇaṃ rājñaḥ śaptasya muninā kila || 23 || takṣakasya tu ko doṣo brūhi me munisattama | uttaṅka uvāca takṣakeṇa dhanaṃ dattvā kaśyapaḥ sannivāritaḥ || 24 || na sa kiṃ takṣako vairī pitṛhā tava bhūpate | bhāryā ruroḥ purā bhūpa daṣṭā sarpeṇa sā mṛtā || 25 || avivāhitā tu muninā jīvitā ca punaḥ priyā | ruruṇāpi kṛtā tatra pratijñā cātidāruṇā || 26 || yaṃ yaṃ sarpaṃ prapaśyāmi taṃ taṃ hanmyāyudhena vai | evaṃ kṛtvā pratijñāṃ sa śastrapāṇī rurustadā || 27 || vyacaratpṛthivīṃ rājannighnansarpānyatastataḥ | ekadā sa vane ghoraṃ ḍuṇḍubhaṃ jarasānvitam || 28 || apaśyaddaṇḍamudyamya hantuṃ taṃ samupāyayau | abhyahanruṣito viprastamuvācātha ḍuṇḍubhaḥ || 29 || nāparādhnomi te vipra kasmānmāmabhihaṃsi vai | rururuvāca prāṇapriyā me dayitā daṣṭā sarpeṇa sā mṛtā || 30 || pratijñeyaṃ tadā sarpa duḥkhitena mayā kṛtā | ḍuṇḍubha uvāca nāhaṃ daśāmi te'nye vai ye daśanti bhujaṅgamāḥ || 31 || śarīrasamayogena na māṃ hiṃsitumarhasi | uttaṅka uvāca śrutvā tāṃ mānuṣīṃ vāṇīṃ sarpeṇoktāṃ manoharām || 32 || ruruḥ papraccha ko'si tvaṃ kasmādḍuṇḍubhatāṃ gataḥ | sarpa uvāca brāhmaṇo'haṃ purā vipra sakhā me khagamābhidhaḥ || 33 || vipro dharmabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ satyavādī jitendriyaḥ | sa mayā vañjito maurkhyātsarpaṃ kṛtvā ca tārṇakam || 34 || bhayaṃ ca prāpito'tyarthamagnihotragṛhe sthitaḥ | tena bhītena śapto'haṃ vihvalenātivepinā || 35 || bhava sarpo mandabuddhe yenāhaṃ dharṣitastvayā | mayā prasādito'tyarthaṃ sarpeṇāsau dvijottamaḥ || 36 || māmuvācātha tatkrodhātkiñcicchāntimavāpya ca | ruruste mocitā śāpasyāsya sarpa bhaviṣyati || 37 || pramatestu suto nūnamiti māṃ so'bravīdvacaḥ | so'haṃ sarpo rurustvaṃ ca śṛṇu me paramaṃ vacaḥ || 38 || ahiṃsā paramo dharmo viprāṇāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ | dayā sarvatra kartavyā brāhmaṇena vijānatā || 39 || yajñādanyatra viprendra na hiṃsā yājñiko matā | sūta uvāca sarpayonervinirmukto bāhmaṇo'sau rurustataḥ || 40 || kṛtvā tasya ca śāpāntaṃ parityaktaṃ ca hiṃsanam | vivāhitā tena bālā mṛtā sajjīvitā punaḥ || 41 || kadanaṃ sarvasarpāṇāṃ kṛtaṃ vairamanusmaran | tvaṃ tu vairaṃ samutsṛjya vartase pannageṣvatha || 42 || vimanyurbharataśreṣṭha pitṛghātakareṣu vai | antarikṣe mṛtastātaḥ snānadānavivarjitaḥ || 43 || tasyoddhāraṃ ca rājendra kuru hatvātha pannagān | piturvairaṃ na jānāti jīvanneva mṛto hi saḥ || 44 || durgatiste pitustāvadyāvattānna haniṣyasi | ambāmakhamiṣaṃ kṛtvā kuru yajñaṃ nṛpottama || 45 || sarpasatraṃ mahārāja piturvairamanusmaran | sūta uvāca iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā rājā janmejayastadā || 46 || netrābhyāmaśrupātaṃ ca cakārātīva duḥkhitaḥ | dhiṅmāmastu sudurbuddhervṛthā mānakarasya vai || 47 || pitā yasya gatiṃ ghorāṃ prāptaḥ pannagapīḍitaḥ | adyāhaṃ makhamārabhya karomyapacitiṃ pituḥ || 48 || hatvā sarpānasandigdho dīpyamāne vibhāvasau | āhūya mantriṇaḥ sarvān rājā vacanamabravīt || 49 || kurvantu yajñasambhāraṃ yathārhaṃ mantrisattamāḥ | gaṅgātīre śubhāṃ bhūmiṃ māpayitvā dvijottamaiḥ || 50 || kurvantu maṇḍapaṃ svasthāḥ śatastambhaṃ manoharam | vedī yajñasya kartavyā mamādya sacivāḥ khalu || 51 || tadaṅgatve vidheyo vai sarpasatraḥ suvistaraḥ | takṣakastu paśustatra hotottaṅko mahāmuniḥ || 52 || śīghramāhūyatāṃ viprāḥ sarvajñā vedapāragāḥ | sūta uvāca mantriṇastu tadā cakrurbhūpavākyairvicakṣaṇāḥ || 53 || yajñasya sarvasambhāraṃ vedīṃ yajñasya vistṛtām | havane vartamāne tu sarpāṇāṃ takṣako gataḥ || 54 || indraṃ prati bhayārto'haṃ trāhi māmiti cābravīt | bhayabhītaṃ samāśvāsya svāsane sanniveśya ca || 55 || dadāvabhayamatyarthaṃ nirbhayo bhava pannaga | tamindraśaraṇaṃ jñātvā munirdattābhayaṃ tathā || 56 || uttaṅko'hvayadudvignaḥ sendraṃ kṛtvā nimantraṇam | smṛtastadā takṣakeṇa yāyāvarakulodbhavaḥ || 57 || āstīko nāma dharmātmā jaratkārusuto muniḥ | tatrāgatya munerbālastuṣṭāva janamejayam || 58 || rājā tamarcayāmāsa dṛṣṭvā bālaṃ supaṇḍitam | arcayitvā nṛpastaṃ tu chandayāmāsa vāñchitaiḥ || 59 || sa tu vavre mahābhāga yajño'yaṃ viramatviti | satyabaddho nṛpastena prārthitaśca punastathā || 60 || homaṃ nivartayāmāsa sarpāṇāṃ munivākyataḥ | bhārataṃ śrāvayāmāsa vaiśampāyana vistarāt || 61 || śrutvāpi nṛpatiḥ kāmaṃ na śāntimabhijagmivān | vyāsaṃ papraccha bhūpālo mama śāntiḥ kathaṃ bhavet || 62 || mano'tidahyate kāmaṃ kiṃ karomi vadasva me | pitā me durbhagasyaiva mṛtaḥ pārthasutātmajaḥ || 63 || kṣatriyāṇāṃ mahābhāga saṅgrāme maraṇaṃ varam | raṇe vā maraṇaṃ vyāsa gṛhe vā vidhipūrvakam || 64 || maraṇaṃ na piturme'bhūdantarikṣe mṛto'vaśaḥ | śāntyupāyaṃ vadasvātra tvaṃ ca satyavatīsuta || 65 || yathā svargaṃ vrajedāśu pitā me durgatiṃ gataḥ || 66 ||
English translation
1-4. Suta said “O Munis! seeing now the king lifeless, and his son a mere boy, the ministers themselves performed all his funeral ceremonies. First they burned the king on the banks of the Ganges without uttering any Mantra, as his death was an accidental one due to snake bite, afterwards they had an effigy of the king made of kus’a grass and placed it on a funeral pyre and burned it, with sandal and scented wood. The priest then performed and completed his funeral obsequies, repeating duly the Vedic mantras, and distributed various things in charities to the Brahmins, together with sufficient quantity of gold, and varieties of food and clothings so that the king may attain heaven.
5-7. Next, on an auspicious moment, the ministers installed the boy prince on the throne that gladdened the hearts of the subjects and all the populace of the city, towns, and villages acknowledged the boy prince Janamejaya, endowed with all royal qualities as their king.
The Dhatreyi gave all instructions to the king about his duties. The boy prince gradually grew in years and became endowed with great intellect.
8-15. When Janamejaya became eleven years old, the family priest initiated him duly with the Gayatri mantra and he also studied it duly. Then Kripa charya taught him perfectly the science of archery (Dhanurveda) as Dronacharya taught Arjuna and Paras'urama taught Kama. Janamejaya learnt by and by all the sciences and became very powerful and indomitable to his enemies as he was skilled in the science of archery, he was similarly in the other branches of the Vedas. Truthful, self-controlled, religious, the king Janamejaya acquired full knowledge in the Dharmas'astras
(philosophies and law books) and Arthas'astras (economics) and governed his kingdom like the Dharma's son Yudhisthira.
The king of Kas'i gave his all-auspicious daughter Vapustama in marriage to the king Janamejaya wearing golden coat of armour. The king Janamejaya, with the beautiful Vapus'ama casting side-long looks, looked very happy as was the king Vichitravirya, when he got for his wife the daughter of Kashira] and also when Arjuna got his Subhadra. Then the king began to enjoy his lotus-eyed Vapustama in forest, and gardens like S’atakratu and S’achi. The able ministers conducted satisfactorily the reins of government; and the subjects, well governed passed away their time with cheerful hearts.
16-32. In the meanwhile, a Muni, named Uttanka, being much troubled by Taksaka, thought who could help him in his taking revenge on Taksak and, seeing the king Pariksit's son the king Janamejaya a proper person came to Hastina to the king and spoke out thus “O good king! Thou dost not know when to do a thing that ought to be done; Thou art doing at present what ought not to be done; and thou art not doing what should be done now. There is nothing of anger or energy within Thee; Thou dost things as a child does; so Thou dost not know the meaning of the S’astras nor dost Thou know Thy former enemy; so what shall I pray before Thee?” Hearing this Janamejaya said “O highly fortunate one! I do not know who is my enemy; what wrong is there to be redressed? please speak out what I am to do.” Uttanka said “O king! the wicked Taksak killed Thy father; ask about the death of Thy father from Thy councillors.” Hearing these words, the king Janamejaya asked his ministers; they replied “Thy father died out of the snake Taksaka's bite.” Then the king spoke “The cause of my father's death is the Brahmin's curse; what is the fault of Taksaka in this matter; please say.” Uttanka said It was Taksaka that gave abundance of wealth to Kas'yapa who was coming to cure Thy father of Taksaka's poison and made him desist from his purpose; so O
king! Is not that Taksaka, then, Thy father's great enemy and his slayer?
O King! In former days, when Pramadvara, the dearest wife of the Muni Ruru, died of snake bite in her unmarried state, Ruru made her alive again. But Ruru made then the promise “whichever serpent will see, I will take away its life by striking it with a club.” O King! Thus making the resolve, he began to kill snakes wherever he found with his club, and thus, in his course of travel all round the earth, he saw within a forest an aged terrible water-snake (Dhonda serpent) and immediately lifted his club to kill it and angrily struck a blow on it, when the snake replied
“O Brahmana! Why are you striking me thus? I have not caused any offence to you.” Ruru said “O serpent! My dearest wife died of snake bite; since then I have made this resolve, under great provocation and sorrow, to kill snakes.” Hearing thus, the water- snake Dundubha replied “I do not bite; those who bite are a different class of snakes; simply on account of my bearing a body similar to them that you will strike me is not quite proper.” Hearing these beautiful humane words from the mouth of a serpent, Ruru asked:-- “Who are you? Why have you become this Dundubha snake?”
33-45. The snake replied “O Brahmana! I was formerly a Brahman; there was a friend of mine named Khyas, very religious, truthful and self-controlled. Once he was staying in his Agnihotra room and I foolishly terrified him much by placing before him an artificial snake created by me of the leaves of trees. He became so much bewildered with fear and shuddered so terribly that he at length cursed me saying “O one of blunt intellect! As you have terrified me by this snake, having no poison, so you better be a snake of that type.” Immediately I turned into a snake and when I much entreated that Brahmana, his anger abated a little and he said again “O snake! Pramati's son Ruru will no doubt free you of this
curse.” I am that snake; and you are also that Ruru; now hear my words in conformity with Dharma. The highest Dharma of the Brahmana, is non-killing. There is no doubt in this. The wise Brahmanas ought to show mercy to all. No harm or killing is to he committed anywhere except in Yajha (sacrifice); killing is only allowed in a Yajha; for at the sacrifice, the animal killed attains the highest goal; hence killing in sacrifice is not reckoned as an act of killing. Uttanka said That Brahmana was then freed of the serpent body; and Ruru, too, desisted from killing since then. O King! Ruru gave life back to that girl and married her but even then, remembering the former enmity he killed the snakes. But, O chief of Bharata's family! Thou art staying without any care, without any anger to the snakes and without any revenge to the previous wrong. O king of kings! Thy father died high up in the air without any bath or charity due to be done at the time of death. So rescue thy father by killing his enemies, the snakes. That son is dead, though living, who does not consider the act of his father's enemy as inimical. Until Thou dost kill the snakes. Thy father's enemies. Thy father's hell life will not be freed. O king! Now remember the wrong done to Thy father and perform the sacrifice to the Great Mother, denominated as the Sarpa Yajha (the sacrifice of snakes).
46-55. Suta said Hearing the words of Uttanka, the king Janamejaya sadly wept and shed tears, and thought within himself:- - “Alas! Fie to me! I am a great stupid; hence I feel myself proud but in vain. Where can his honour be whose father, bitten by a snake, has gone down to hell. Now I will, no doubt, commence the Sarpa Yajha and ensure the destruction of all the snakes in the blazing sacrificial fire and thus deliver my father from hell.” Thus coming to a conclusion, he called all his ministers and said “O ministers!
Better make arrangements duly for a great sacrifice. Have a suitable holy site on the banks of the Ganges, selected and measured by the Brahmanas and have a beautiful sacrificial hall built up on one hundred pillars and prepare a sacrificial altar within this. O Ministers!
When all these preliminaries will be completed, I will commence with great eclat the great Sarpa Yajha (sacrifice of snakes). In that Yajha, the snake Taksak will be the animal victim; and Uttanka, the great Muni, will be the sacrificial priest; so invite early the all-knowing Brahmanas, versed in the Vedas. Thus at the command of the king, the able ministers collected all the materials of the sacrifice and prepared a big sacrificial altar. When the oblations were offered on the sacrificial fire, calling on the snakes, Taksak became greatly distressed with fear and took refuge of Indra saying “Save my life”. Indra, then, gave hopes to Taksaka, trembling with fear, and made him sit on his Asana, encouraged him with words “No fear”. O! snake do not fear any more.
56-65. The Muni Uttanka, seeing that Taksak had taken Indra's protection and that Indra had given him hopes of “no fear”, called on Taksaka with Indra to come to fire with an anxious heart; Taksak, then, seeing no other way, took refuge of the greatly religious Astik, the son of the Muni Jarat Karu, born of the family of Yayavara. The Muni's son Astik came to the sacrificial hall and chanted hymns in praise of Janamejaya; the king, too, seeing the Muni boy greatly learned worshipped him and said “What for have you come? I will give you what you desire.” Hearing this, Astika prayed:-- “O highly enlightened one! Let you desist from this sacrifice.”
The truthful king, prayed thus again and again, stopped the Sarpa Yajha to keep the Muni's word. Vais'ampayana then recited the whole Mahabharata to the king to cheer up his heart. But the king, hearing the whole Mahabharata could not find peace and asked Veda Vyasa “how can I get peace; my mind is constantly being burned with sorrow; say what am I to do? I am very miserable; hence my father Pariksit the son of Abhimanyu has died an unnatural death. O lucky one! See that a Ksattriya's death in a deadly battlefield or in an ordinary battle is praiseworthy; even his death in his own house, if followed up according to natural laws and Vidhis (rules) is commendable; but my father did not die such a death;
under the Brahmana's curse why did he, quite senseless, quit his life high up in the air? O son of Satyavati! Now advise me so that my father who is now in hell can again go up to the heavens, and that my heart may find its way to peace.”
Thus ends the Eleventh Chapter of the Second Skandha on the “Sarpa Yajha” in the Mahapurana S’rimad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24725, revision 75578 (2016-08-03T11:09:55Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk02ch11.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.