Ṛtvijas of the snake sacrifice

 śaunaka uvāca

sarpasatre tadā rājñaḥ pāṇḍaveyasya dhīmataḥ

janamejayasya ke tvāsannṛtvijaḥ paramarṣayaḥ

Who were great Ṛṣis who became Ṛtvijas in the snake sacrifice of wise king Janamejaya of Pāṇḍava dynasty?

ke sadasyā babhūvuśca sarpasatre sudāruṇe 

viṣādajaname ̍tyarthaṁ pannagānāṁ mahābhaye

Who became Sadasyas in that terrible snake sacrifice, so fearful to the snakes and so sorrowful to them?

sarvaṁ vistaraśastāta bhavāñchaṁsitumarhasi

sarpasatravidhānajñavijñeyāḥ ke ca sūtaja

O child! You shoulde describe all this in detail, so that, O sauti, we may know who were acquaited with the rituals of the snake sacrifice!

sautir uvāca

hanta te kathayiṣyāmi nāmānīha manīṣiṇām

ye ṛtvijaḥ sadasyāśca tasyāsannṛpatestadā

Sauti said: I shall tell you the names of those wise men who became Ṛtvijas and Sadasyas of the king.

tatra hotā babhūvātha brāhmaṇaścaṇḍabhārgavaḥ

cyavanasyānvaye khyāto jāto vedavidāṁ varaḥ

Brāhmaṇa, named Caṇḍa Bhārgava, born in the race of Cyavana, greatly illustrious and foremost man amongst all learned in Vedas, became Hotā in that sacrifice.

udgātā brāhmaṇo vṛddho vidvānkautso ̍tha jaiminiḥ

brahmā ̍bhūcchārṅgaravo ̍thāghvaryuścāpi piṅgalaḥ

This learned old Brāhmaṇa, Kautsa became Udgātā, Jaimini became Brahmā, Śraṅgarava and Piṅgala became Adhvaryus.

sadasyaścābhavadvyāsaḥ putraśiṣyasahāyavān

uddālakaḥ pramatakaḥ śvetaketuśca piṅgalaḥ

asito devalaścaiva nāradaḥ parvatastathā

ātreyaḥ kuṇḍajaṭharau dvijaḥ kālaghaṭastathā

vātsyaḥ śrutaśravā vṛddho japasvādhyāyaśīlavān

kohalo devaśarmā ca maudgalyaḥ samasaurabhaḥ

Vyāsa with his sons and disciples, Uddālaka, Pramataka, Śvetaketu, Piṅgala, Asita, Devala, Nārada, Parvata, Atreya. Kuṇḍajaṭhara, Kālaghaṭa, Vātsya, old Śrutaśravā, ever engaged in Japa and study of Vedas, Kohala, Devaśarmā, Maudgalya, Samasaurabha.

ete cānye ca bahavo brāhmaṇāḥ vedapāragāḥ

sadasyāścābhavaṁstatra satre pārikṣitasya ha

These and many others, who were vastly learned in Vedas, became Sadasyas in the sacrifice of the son of Parīkṣit.

juhvatsvṛtvikṣvatha tadā sarpasatre mahākratau

ahayaḥ prāpataṁstatra ghorāḥ prāṇibhayāvahāḥ

When Ṛtvijas began to offer ghee in fire in that snake sacrifice, fearful snakes, striking fear into every creature, began to fall into the fire.

vasāmedovahāḥ kulyā nāgānāṁ saṁpravartitāḥ

vavau gandgaśca tumulo dahyatāmaniśaṁ tadā

Fat and marrow of the snakes, thus burnt in sacrificial fire, flowed like rivers and whole atmosphere was filled with an insufferable stench, owing to his continual burning of the snakes.

patatāṁ caiva nāgānāṁ ghiṣṭhitānāṁ tathāmbare

aśrūyatāniśaṁ śabdaḥ pacyatāṁ cāgninā bhṛśam

Incessant were piteous cries of snakes that fell into fire and of those who were in the air about to fall into it.

takṣakastu sa nāgendraḥ puraṅdaraniveśanam

gataḥ śrutvaiva rājānaṁ dīkṣitaṁ janamejayam

In the meanwhile, as soon as Takṣaka heard that Janamejaya had been installed in the sacrifice, he, king of the snakes, went to Indra.

tataḥ sarvaṁ yathāvṛttamākhyāya bhujagottamaḥ

agacchaccharaṇaṁ bhīta āgastkṛtvā puraṁdaram

That best of snakes told everything to Indra and having acknowledged his fault, asked his protection in fear.

tamindraḥ prāha suprīto na tavāstīha takṣaka

bhayaṁ nāgendra tasmādvai sarpasatrātkadācana

Indra, baing much pleased, told him: O Takṣaka, O king of the snakes! You have nothing to fear here from snake sacrifice.

prasādito mayā pūrvaṁ tavārthāya pitāmahaḥ

tasmāttava bhayaṁ nāsti vyetu te mānaso jvaraḥ

Grandfather was pacified by me for your sake. Therefore, you have no fear. Drive away this fever of fear from your mind.

sautiruvāca

evamāśvāsitastena tataḥ sa bhujagottamaḥ

uvāsa bhavane tasmiñcchakrasya muditaḥ sukhī

Thus being encouraged by him, the best of snakes, Takṣaka, lived in Indra ̍s abode in joy and happiness.

ajasraṁ nipatatsvagnau nāgeṣu bhṛśaduḥkhitaḥ

alpaśeṣaparīvāro vāsukiḥ paryatapyata

kaśmalaṁ cāviśad ghoraṁ vāsukiṁ pannagottamam

sa ghūrṇamānahṛdayo bhaginīmidamabravīt

Here did Vāsuki became exceedingly sorry, seeing that the snakes were continually falling into the fire and that his race had been reduced to only a few. That best of the snakes were confounded with grief and thus spoke to his sister:

dahyantyaṅgāni me bhadre na diśaḥ pratibhānti ca

sīdāmīva ca saṁmohāt ghūrṇatīva ca me manaḥ

O amiable sister, my body is burning. I can no longer see the points of the heavens. I am about to fall owing to the loss of consciousness, my mind is whirling.

dṛṣṭirbhrāmyati metīva hṛdayaṁ dīryatīva ca

patiṣyāvaśo ̍dyāhaṁ tasmindīpte vibhāvasau

My sight is falling, my heart is trembling. Being be numbered, I may fall into the blazing fire of the sacrifice today.

pārikṣitasya yajño ̍sau vartate ̍smajjighāṁsayā

vyaktaṁ mayā ̍pi gantavyaṁ pretarājaniveśanam

THis sacrifice of the son of Parīkṣit is begun for extermination of our race. It is evident I also shall have soon to go to the land of the dead.

ayaṁ sa kālaḥ saṁprāpto yadatrhamasi me svasaḥ

jaratkārau mayā dattā trāyasvāsmānsabāndhavān

That time has come, O sister, for which I bestowed you on Ṛṣi Jaratkāru, O sister, protect us with all our race.

āstīkaḥ kila yajñaṁ taṁ vartantaṁ bhūjagottame

pratiṣetsyati māṁ pūrvaṁ svayamāha pitāmahaḥ

O best of the woman of the snake race, Āstīka will put an end to this sacrifice which is being performed. Grandsir himself told me this in time gone by.

tadvatse brūhi vatsaṁ svaṁ kumāraṁ vṛddhasaṁmatam

mamādya tvaṁ sabhṛtyasya mokṣārthaṁ vedavittamam

Therfore, O sister, ask your dear son, who is exceedingly learned in the Vedas and respected even by the old, to protect me and those dependent on me.