places&Rishis

 vedārthavicca bhgavānṛṣirvipro mahāyaśāḥ There was illustrious and famous Ṛṣi, learned in interpretation of Vedas. śūle protaḥ purāṇarṣiracauraścau raśaṅkayā aṇīmāṇḍavya ityevaṁ vikhyātaḥ sa mahāyaśāḥ That greatly famous man was known by the name of  Aṇīmāṇḍavya. Though innocent, he was accused of theft and was put on Śūla. sa dharmamāhūya purā maharṣiridamuktavān iṣikayā mayā bālyādviddhā hyekā śakuntikā Thereupon, great Ṛṣi called Dharma and addressed him thus: In my childhood I pierced little fly with blade of grass. tatkilbiṣaṁ smare dharma nānyatpāpamahaṁ smare tanme sahasramamitaṁ kasmānnehājayattapaḥ O Dharma! I remember this sin of mine, I cannot remember any other. I have since practised asceticism thousand fold. Has not that one sin of mine been expitiated by my great asceticism? garīyānbrāhmaṇavadhaḥ sarvabhūtavadhādyataḥ tasmāttvaṁ kilbiṣī dharma śūdrayonau janiṣyasi Killing of Brāhmaṇa is more heinous than any other sin in the world. As you kill me, O Dharma! You...

 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 visa...

 Śaunaka uvāca ye sarpāḥ sarpasatre ̍sminpatitā havyavāhane teṣāṁ nāmāni sarveṣāṁ śrotumicchāmi sūtaja Śaunaka said: O son of Suta! I desire to hear the names of those snakes, who fell into the fire of snake sacrifice. sautiruvāca sahasrāṇi bahūnyasminprayunyarbudāni ca na śakyaṁ parisaṁkhyātuṁ bahutvāddvijasattama Sauti said: O best of twice born! They were many thousands, tens of thousands and millions and billions, so great was their number that I am unable even to count them. yathāsmṛti tu nāmāni pannagānāṁ nibodha me ucyamānāni mukhyānāṁ hutānāṁ jātavedasi As far as I remember, hear, I shall mention the names of principal snakes that fell into the fire. vāsukeḥ kulajātāṁstu prādhānyena nibodha me nīlaraktānsitānghorānmahākāyānviṣolbaṇān Hear first the names of chief ones of Vāsuki ̍s family. They were of blue, red, white colour. They were of terrible forms, huge bodies and dreadfully poisonous. avaśānmātṛvāgdaṇḍapīḍitānkṛpaṇānhutān koṭiśo mānasaḥ pūrṇaḥ śalaḥ pālo halomakaḥ pi...

 janamejaya uvāca bālo ̍pyayaṁ sthavira ivāvabhāṣate nāyaṁ bālaḥ sthaviro ̍yaṁ mato me icchāmyahaṁ varamasmai pradātuṁ tanme viprāḥ saṁvidadhvaṁ yathāvat Janamejaya said: Though this Ṛṣi is but a boy, he speaks like a wise old man. He is not a boy, I think he is wise and old. I wish to bestow on him a boon. Therefore, O Brāhmaṇas, give me necessary permiccion.  sadāsyā ūcuḥ bālo ̍pi vipro mānya eveha rājñāṁ vidvānyo vai sa yathāvat sarvānkāmāṁstvatta evārhate ̍dya yathā ca nastakṣaka eti śīghram Sadasyas said: Brāhmaṇa, though he may be a boy, deserves respect of kings, more so if he is learned. This boy deserves to have his all desires fulfilled, but not before Takṣaka is here with all speed. sautiruvāca vyāhartukāme varade nṛpe dvijaṁ varaṁ vṛṇīṣveti tato ̍yuvāca hotā vākyaṁ nātihṛṣṭāntarātmā karmaṇyasmiṁstakṣako naiti tāvat Sauti said: king, being willing to grant a boon to Brāhmaṇa boy, said: Ask from me a boon! Hotā, being rather displeased at this, said: Takṣaka has not ...

 āstīka uvāca somasya yajño varuṇasya yajñaḥ prajāpateryajña āsītprayāgo tathā yajño ̍yaṁ tava bhāratārgrya pārikṣita svasti no ̍stu priyebhyaḥ Āstīka said: O son of Parīkṣit! O best of Bharata race! Soma, Varuṇa, Prajāpati performed sacrifices at Prayāga in the days of yore, but your sacrifice, is in no way inferior to them. Blessing be upon those who are dear to us! śakrasya yajñaḥ śatasaṁkhya ukta- stathāparaṁ tulyasaṁkhyaṁ śataṁ vai tathā yajño ̍yaṁ tava bhāratāgrya pārikṣita avasti no ̍stu priyebhyaḥ O son of Parīkṣit! O  best of Bharata race! Indra performed 100 sacrifices, but your sacrifice is fully equal to his sacrifices! Blessings be upon those who are dear to us! yamasya yajño harimedhasaśca yathā yajño rantidevasya rājasya rājñaḥ tathā yajño ̍yaṁ tava bhāratāgrya pārikṣita svasti no ̍stu priyebhyaḥ  O son of Parīkṣit! O best of Bharata race! Your this sacrifice is like sacrifices of Yama, Harimedha, king Rantideva. Blessings be upon those who are dear to us! ...

 sautiruvāca tata āhūya putraṁ svaṁ jaratkārurbhujaṁgamā vāsukernāgarājasya vacanādidamabravīt Sauti said: Snake lady, Jaratkāku, then calling her son, told him what was spoken to her by Vāsuki, king of Nāgas. ahaṁ tava pituḥ putra bhrātrā gattā nimittataḥ  kālaḥ sa cāyaṁ saṁprāptastatkuruṣva yathātatham She said: O son! Time has come for accomplishment of that object for which I was bestowed by my brother on your father. Therefore, do what is needful. āstīka uvāca kiṁ nimittaṁ mama piturdattā tvaṁ mātulena me tanmamācakṣva tattvena śrutvā kartā ̍smi tattath Āstīka said: For what object, O mother, were you bestowed by my uncle on my father? Tell me all, so that I may do what is proper. sautiruvāca tata ācaṣṭa sā tasmai bāndhavānāṁ hitaiṣiṇī bhaginī nāgarājasya jaratkāruraviklavā Sauti said: Jaratkāru, sister of the snake king, ever desirous to do good to her race and much moved by generall distress said: jaratkāruruvāca pannagāmaśeṣāṇāṁ mātā kadrūriti śrutā tayā śaptā ruṣitayā...

 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 illus...