Parīkṣit comes to Ṛṣi in the forest

 sa kadācidvanagato mṛgaṁ vivyādha patriṇā

viddhavā cānvasarattūrṇaṁ taṁ mṛgaṁ hahane vane

Once on a time he went into the forest and pierced a deer with an arrow. Having thus wounded the deer, he followed it armed with sword and quiver into the dense forest.

padātirbaddhanistriṁśastatāyudhakalāpavān

na cāsasāda gahane mṛgaṁ naṣṭaṁ pitātava

Alone on foot. But he could not, however, come upon that lost deer.

pariśrānto vayasthāśca ṣaṣṭivarṣo jarānvitaḥ

kṣudhitaḥ sa mahāraṇye dadarśa munisattamam

He, who was 60 years old and therefore fatigued and hungry, saw a gret Ṛṣi in that great forest.

sa taṁ papraccha rājendro muniṁ maunavrate sthitam

na ca kiṅciduvācedaṁ pṛṣṭo ̍pi sa munistadā

King accosted that Ṛṣi, who was then observing the vow of silence, but Ṛṣi did not make any reply.

tato rājā kṣucchramārtastaṁ muniṁ sthāṇuvasthitam

maunavratadharaṁ śāntaṁ sadyo manyuvaśaṁgataḥ

Fatigued and hungry king grew angry with Ṛṣi who sat motionless as a piece of wood in observance of his vow of silence.

na bubodh ca taṁ rājā maunavratadharaṁ munim

sa taṁ krodhasamāviṣṭo dharṣayāmāsa te pitā

Knowing not that Ṛṣi was observing a vow of silence, your father, being angry, insulted him.

mṛtaṁ sarpaṁ dhanuṣkoṭyā samutkṣipya dharātalāt

tasya śuddhātmanaḥ prādātskandhe bharatasattama

O excellent one of Bharata race, he took up from the ground a dead snake with the end of his bow and placed it on the shoulder of that holy Ṛṣi.

na covāca sa medhāvī tamatho sādhvasādhu vā

tasthau tathaiva cākruddhaḥ sarpaṁ skandhena dhārayan

But that wise man did not speak a word, good or bad and he did not became angry. He remained as he was, bearing the snake on his shoulder.

mantriṇaḥ ūcuḥ

tataḥ sa rājā rājendraḥ skandhe tasya bhujaṅgamam

muneḥ kṣutkṣāma āsajya svapuraṁ svapuraṁ prayayau punaḥ

Ministers said: O king of kings, that tired and hungry monarch, having placed the snake on the shoulder of Ṛṣi, came back to his own capitad.

ṛṣestasya tu putro ̍bhūdgavi jāto mahāyaśāḥ

śṛṅgī nāma mahātejāstigmavīryo ̍tikopanaḥ

Ṛṣi had a son, born of a cow, named Śṛṅgī. He was greatly renowned, exceedingly powerful and greatly energetic and very wrathful.

brahmāṇaṁ samupāgamya muniḥ pūjāṁ cakāra ha

so ̍nujñātatastatra śṛṅgī suśrāva taṁ tadā

He went to Brahmā and worshipped him. Commanded by him, Śṛṅgī was one day returning home,

sakhyuḥ sakāśātpitaraṁ pitrā te dharṣitaṁ purā

mṛtaṁ sarpaṁ samāsaktaṁ sthāṇubhūtasya tasy tam

vahantaṁ rājaśārdūlaḥ skandhenānapakāriṇam

tapasvinamatīvātha taṁ munipravaraṁ nṛpa

When he heard from his friend how his father had been insulted by your father. He heard that he was bearing on his shoulder dead snake as motionless as a piece of wood, without doing any injury to the man who had insulted him thus.

jitendriyaṁ viśuddhaṁ ca sthitaṁ karmaṇyathādbhutam

tapasā dyotitātmānaṁ sveṣvaṅgeṣuṁ yataṁ tadā

O king, he heard that your father had insulted Ṛṣi, who was great ascetic, the best of Ṛṣis, a controller of his passions, pious and holy man, a door of wonderful deeds, his soul enlightened with asceticism and his senses and their functions under his complete control.

śubhācāraṁ śubhakathaṁ susthitaṁ tamalolupam

akṣudramanasūyaṁ ca vṛddhaṁ maunavrate sthitam

śaraṇyaṁ sarvabhūtānāṁ pitrā vinikṛtaṁ tava

śaśāpātha mahātejāḥ pitaraṁ te ruṣānvitaḥ

His practices were pious, his speeches pure. He was contented and had no avarice, he had not the least meanness, nor had he any avarice. He was old and observant of the vow of silence and he was the refuge of all creatures. Such was Ṛṣi whom your father insulted. Son of that Ṛṣi, however, cursed your father in anger.

ṛṣeḥ putro mahātejā bālo ̍pi sthaviradyatiḥ

sa kṣipramudakaṁ spṛṣṭvā roṣādidamuvāca ha

Though that son of the Ṛṣi was but a boy. He had the splendour of mature age. He speedily touched water and spoke thus in anger:

pitaraṁ te ̍bhisaṁdhāya tejasā prajvalanniva

anāgasi gurau yo me mṛtaṁ sarpamavāsṛjat

taṁ nāgastakṣakaḥ kruddhastejasā pradahiṣyati

āśīviṣastigmatejā madvākyabalacoditaḥ

saptarātrāditaḥ pāpaṁ paśya me tapaso balam

ityuktvā prayayau tatra pitā yatrā ̍sya so ̍bhavat

dṛṣṭvā ca tasmai taṁ śāpaṁ pratyavedayat

With the reference to your father, burning as if in effulgence: Behold my ascetic powers! Angry and effulgent snake Takṣaka, as spoken by me, will burn with his poison, within 7 nights hence, that wretch, who has placed dead snake on the shoulder of my sire!

Having said this, he went to the place where his father was. Seeing his father, he told him of the curse uttered by him.

sa cāpi muniśārdūlaḥ prerayāmāsa te pituḥ

śiṣyaṁ gauramukhaṁ nāma śīlavantaṁ guṇānvitam

ācakhyau sa ca viśrānto rājñaḥ sarvamaśeṣataḥ

That best of Ṛṣis sent to your father. Well mannered and virtuous disciple, named Gaurmukha, after having taken rest for a while, told everything to the king - your father.

śapto ̍si mama putreṇa yato bhava mahīpate

takṣakastvāṁ mahārāja tejasā sau dahiṣyati

Saying in words of his Guru: O king! You have been cursed by my son! Takṣaka will burn you with his poison! O great king! Be careful!

śrutvā ca tadvaco ghoraṁ pitā te janamejaya

yatto ̍bhavatparitrastastakṣakātpannattamāt

O Janamejaya! Your father, having heard these terrible words, took every precaution against powerful snake Takṣaka.