End of snake sacrifice

 sautiruvāca

idamatyadbhutaṁ cānyadāstīkasyānuśuśruma

tathā varaiśchamāne rājñā pārikṣitena hi

Sauti said: Now hear, I shall mention another wonderful incident in connection with Āstīka. When son of Parīkṣit, Janamejaya, was about to grant the boon to Āstīka.

indrahastāccyuto nāgaḥ kha eva yadatiṣṭhata

tataṭcintāparo rājā babhūva janamejayaḥ

Snake, Takṣaka though thrown off from Indra ̍s hands, remained in the air without falling. Thereupon, king Janamejaya became thoughtful:

hūyamāne bhṛśaṁ dīptaṁ vidhivadvasuretasi

na sma sa prāpa tadvanhau takṣako bhayapīḍitaḥ

For Takṣaka, though benumbed with fear, did not at once fall into fire, although libations were poured into blazing sacrificial fire in his mane and in proper form.

śaunaka uvāca

kiṁ sūta teṣāṁ viprāṇāṁ mantragrāmo manīṣiṇām

na pratyabhāttadā ̍gnau yatsa papāta na takṣakaḥ

Śaunaka said" O Sūta! Were not Mantras of those wise Brāhmaṇas propitious? Why did not Takṣaka fall into fire?

sautiruvāca

tamindrahastādvitrastaṁ visaṁjñaṁ pannagottamam

āstīkastiṣṭhatiṣṭhetivācastisro ̍bhyudairayat

Sauti said: Āstīka had said thrice: Stay! Stay! Stay! to unconscious Takṣaka, the best of snakes, when he was cast off from Indra ̍s hands.

vitasthe so ̍ntarikṣe ca hṛdayena vidūyatā

yathā tiṣṭhati vai kaścitkhaṁ ca gāṁ cāntarā naraḥ

And afflicted with grief, he remained in the sky like person who hang between heaven and Earth.

tato rājābravīdvākyaṁ sadasyaiścodito bhṛśam

kāmametadbhavatvevaṁ yathāstīkasya bhāṣitam

Being again and again urged by his Sadasyas, king said: Let it be done as saked by Āstīka!

samāpyatāmidaṁ karma pannagāḥ santvanāmayāḥ

prīyatāmayamāstīkaḥ satyaṁ sūtavaco ̍stu tat

Let sacrifice be stopped, let snakes be saved, let this Āstīka be gratified and let words of Sūta be true!

tato halahalāśabdaḥ prītidaḥ samajāyata

āstīkasya vare datte tathaivopararāma ca

sa yajñaḥ pāṇḍaveyasya rājñaḥ pārikṣitasya ha

prītimāṁścābhavadrājā bhārato janamejayaḥ

When boon was granted to Āstīka, loud acclamation of joy rose into the sky and sacrifice of the son of Parīkṣit, king of Pāṇḍava dynasty, came to the end and king Janamejaya of Bharata race was much pleased with himself.

ṛtvigbhyaḥ sasadasyebhyo ye tatrāsanmāgatāḥ

tebhyaśca pradadau vittaṁ śataśo ̍tha sahasraśaḥ

King bestowed money by hundreds and sousands on Ṛtvijas and Sadasyas and on all who were present there at that great sacrifice.

lohitākṣāya sūtāya tathā sthapataye vibhuḥ

yenoktaṁ tasya tatrāgre sarpasatranivartane

nimittaṁ brāhmaṇa iti tasymai vittaṁ dadau bahu

datvā dravyaṁ yathānyāyaṁ bhojanācchādanānvitam

He bestowed much wealth on Sūta Lohitākṣa, who was learned in the science of masonry and foundations and who had said at the very commencement of the snake sacrifice, that a Brāhmaṇa would be the cause of its interruption. He gave him wealth and various things, food and wearing apparel,

prītastasmai narapatiraprameyaparākramaḥ

tataścakārāvabhṛthaṁ vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā

King of immeasurable kindness was thus much pleased and he concluded sacrifice according to the rites of ordinance.

āstīkaṁ preṣayāmāsa gṛhāneva susaṁskṛtam

rājā prītamanāḥ prītaṁ kṛtakṛtyaṁ manīṣiṇam

He sent back home in much joy wise Āstīka, whom he treated with every respect. He too was exceedingly pleased, because his object was attained.

punarāgamanaṁ kāryamiti cainaṁ vaco ̍bravīt

bhaviṣyasi sadasyo me vājimedhe mahākratau

king said to him: You must come again to become a Sadasya in my great horse sacrifice!

tathetyuktvā pradudrāva tadāstīko mudā yutaḥ

kṛtvā svakāryamatulaṁ toṣayitvā ca pārthivam

And Āstīka replied: Yes!

Then he returned home in great joy, having achieved his great object, bu pleasing king.

sa gatvā paramaprīto mātulaṁ mātaraṁ ca tām

abhigamyopasaṁgṛhya tathāvṛttaṁ nyavedayat

Having returned in gret joy to his uncle and mother, he touched their feet and told them all that had happened.

sautiruvāca

etacchrutvā prīyamāṇāḥ sametā

ye tatrāsanpannagā vītamohāḥ

āstīke vai prītimanto babhūvu-

rūcuścainaṁ varamiṣṭaṁ vṛṇīṣva

Having heard all he said, those snakes, who assembled there, were much delighted and their fear was dispelled. They were greatly pleased with Āstīka and insisted him to ask a boon.

bhūyo bhūyaḥ sarvaśaste ̍bruvaṁstaṁ

kiṁ te priyaṁ karavāmādya vidvan

prītā vayaṁ mokṣitāścaiva sarve

kāmaṁ kiṁ te karavāmādya vatsa

they all again and again asked: O learned one! What good can we do to you? We are exceedingly pleased with you, for we have been all saved by you! O child! Tell us what we can do for you?

āstīka uvāca

sāyaṁprātarye prasannātmarūpā

loke viprā mānavā ye pare ̍pi

dharmākhyānaṁ ye paṭheyurmamedaṁ

teṣāṁ yuṣmannaiva kicidbhayaṁ syāt

Āstīka said: Let those Brāhmaṇas and other men, who will cheerfully and with attention read morning and evening this sacred account of my this act, have no fear from you!

taiścāpyukto bhāgineyaḥ prasannai-

retatsatyaṁ kāmamevaṁ varaṁ te

prītyā yuktāḥ kāmitaṁ sarvaśaste

kartāraḥ sma pravaṇā bhāgineya

They said in joy: O nephew! as regards the boon asked by you, let it be exactly as you say! O nephew! We will all cheerfully do what you ask us to do!

asitaṁ cārtimantaṁ ca sunīthaṁ cāpi yaḥ smaret

divā vā yadi vā rātrau nāsya sarpabhayaṁ bhavet

those who will recall to their minds Asita, Ārtiman, Sunītha, in the day or at night, will have no fear from the snakes!

yo jaratkāruṇā jāto jaratkārau mahāyaśāḥ

āstīkaḥ sarpasatre vaḥ pannagānyo ̍bhyarakṣata

taṁ smarantaṁ mahābhāgā na māṁ hiṁsitumarhatha

He will have no fear from snakes, who will say: Āstīka, son of Jaratkāru, born of Jaratkāru, Āstīka, who saved the snakes from snake sacrifice, I recall him to my mind! Therefore! O illustrious snakes! You should not bite me!

sarpāpasarpa bhadraṁ te gaccha sarpamahāviṣa

janamejayasya yajñānte āstīkavacanaṁ smara

O blessed snake! Go away! Go away! O snake of virulen poison! Remember the words of Āstīka spoken after snake sacrifice of Jananmejaya!

āstīkasya vacaḥ śrutvā yaḥ sarpo na nivartate

śatadhā bhidyate mūrghni śiṁśavṛkṣa phalaṁ yathā

Having heard the words of Āstīka mentioned, snake who will not cease to bite, will have his hood divided into 100 pieces like fruit of Śiṁśama tree.

sautiruvāca

sa evamuktastu tadā dvijendraḥ

samāgataistairbhujagendramukhyaiḥ

saṁprāpya prītiṁ vipulāṁ mahātmā

tato mano gamanāyātha dadhre

Sauti said: Thus addressed by chief snakes, that best of Brāhmaṇas, Āstīka, was very much pleased and illustrious boy then thought of going away.

mokṣayitvā tu bhujagānsarpasatrāddvijottamaḥ

jagāma kāle dharmātmā diṣṭāntaṁ putrapautravān

That virtuous and the best of twice born, having thus saved snakes from snake sacrifice, died at the proper time, leaving sons and grandsons behind him.

ityākhyānaṁ mayāstīkaṁ yathāvattava kīrtitam

yatkīrtayitvā sarpebhyo na bhayaṁ vidyate kvacit

Thus I have narrated to you the story of Āstīka, exactly as it happened. A story, which if narrated, dispels all fear of snakes!

sautiruvāca

yathā kathitavānbrahmanpramatiḥ pūrvajastava

putrāya rurave prītaḥ pṛcchate bhārgavottama

O Brāhmaṇa! O best of Bhṛgu race! As your ancestor Pramati had gladly narrated it to his enquiring son Ruru,

yadvākyaṁ śrutavāṁścāhaṁ tathā ca kathitaṁ mayā

āstīkasya kavervipra śrīmaccaritamāditaḥ

And as I heard it from my father, I have narrated this blessed story of learned Āstīka from beginning to end.

śrutvā dharmiṣṭhamākhyānamāstīkaṁ puṇyavardhanam

yanmāṁ tvaṁ pṛṣṭavānbrahmañchrutvā ḍuṇḍubhabhāṣitam

vyetu te sumahadbrahmankautūhalamariṁdama

O Brāhmaṇa! O chastiser of foes! Now you have heard this scred story of Āstīka, which increases virtue and which you asked me to narrate after hearing the story of Ḍuṇḍubha. Let now your great curiosity be satisfied!