Mahabharata, Book 1, Section LI: Astika Parvaआदिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 1.51.

51Sanskrit adhyāya 1.51 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

सौतिरुवाच।
एवमुक्त्वा ततः श्रीमान्मन्त्रिभिश्चानुमीदितः।
आरुरोह प्रतिज्ञां स सर्पसत्राय पार्थिवः।।
ब्रह्मन्भरतशार्दूलो राजा पारिक्षितस्तदा।
पुरोहितमथाहूय ऋत्विजो वसुधाधिपः।।
अब्रवीद्वाक्यसंपन्नः कार्यसंपत्करं वचः।
यो मे हिंसितवांस्तातं तक्षकः स दुरात्मवान्।।
प्रतिकुर्यां यथा तस्य तद्भवन्तो ब्रुवन्तु मे।
अपि तत्कर्म विदितं भवतां येन पन्नगम्।।
तक्षकं संप्रदीप्तेऽग्नौ प्रक्षिपेयं सबान्धवम्।
यथा तेन पिता मह्यं पूर्वं दग्धो विषाग्निना।।
तथाऽहमपि तं पापं दग्धुमिच्छामि पन्नगम्।।
ऋत्विज ऊचुः।
अस्ति राजन्महात्सत्रं त्वदर्थं देवनिर्मितम्।
सर्वसत्रमिति ख्यातं पुराणे परिपठ्यते।।
आहर्ता तस्य सत्रस्य त्वन्नान्योऽस्ति नराधिप।
इति पौराणिकाः प्राहुरस्माकं चास्ति स क्रतुः।।
एवमुक्तः स राजर्षिर्मेने दग्धं हि तक्षकम्।
हुताशनमुखे दीप्ते प्रविष्टमिति सत्तम।।
ततोऽब्रवीन्मन्त्रविदस्तान्राजा ब्राह्मणांस्तदा।
आहरिष्यामि तत्सत्रं संभाराः संभ्रियन्तु मे।।
सौतिरुवाच।
ततस्त ऋत्विजस्तस्य शास्त्रतो द्विजसत्तम।
तं देशं मापयामासुर्यज्ञायतनकारणात्।।
यथावद्वेदविद्वांसः सर्वे बुद्धेः परंगताः।
ऋद्ध्या परमया युक्तमिष्टं द्विजगणैर्युतम्।।
प्रभूतधनधान्याढ्यमृत्विग्भिः सुनिषेवितम्।
निर्माय चापि विधिवद्यज्ञायतनमीप्सितम्।।
राजानं दीक्षयामासुः सर्पसत्राप्तये तदा।
इदं चासीत्तत्र पूर्वं सर्पसत्रे भविष्यति।।
निमित्तं महदुत्पन्नं यज्ञविघ्नकरं तदा।
यज्ञस्यायतने तस्मिन्क्रियमाणे वचोऽब्रवीत्।।
स्थपतिर्बुद्धिसंपन्नो वास्तुविद्याविशारदः।
इत्यब्रवीत्सूत्रधारः सूतः पौराणिकस्तदा।।
यस्मिन्देशे च काले च मापनेयं प्रवर्तिता।
ब्राह्मणं कारणं कृत्वा नायं संस्थास्यते क्रतुः।।
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु राजासौ प्राग्दीक्षाकालमब्रवीत्।
क्षत्तारं न हि मे कश्चिदज्ञातः प्रविशेदिति।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आदिपर्वणि
आस्तीकपर्वणि एकपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः।। 51 ।।

English Ganguli

‘Sauti said, ‘King Janamejaya having said so, his ministers expressed their approbation. And the monarch then expressed his determination to perform a snake-sacrifice. And that lord of the Earth—that tiger of the Bharata race—the son of Parikshit, then called his priest and Ritwiks. And accomplished in speech, he spake unto them these words relating to the accomplishment of his great task. ‘I must avenge myself on the wretch Takshaka who killed my father. Tell me what I must do. Do you know any act by which I may cast into the blazing fire the snake Takshaka with his relatives? I desire to burn that wretch even as he burnt, of yore, by the fire of his poison, my father.’

‘The chief priest answered, ‘There is, O king, a great sacrifice for thee devised by the gods themselves. It is known as the snake-sacrifice, and is read of in the Puranas. O king, thou alone canst accomplish it, and no one else. Men versed in the Puranas have told us, there is such a sacrifice.’

“Sauti continued, ‘Thus addressed, the king, O excellent one, thought Takshaka to be already burnt and thrown into the blazing mouth of Agni, the eater of the sacrificial butter. The king then said unto those Brahmanas versed in mantras, ‘I shall make preparations for that sacrifice. Tell me the things that are necessary.’ And the king’s Ritwiks, O excellent Brahmana, versed in the Vedas and acquainted with the rites of that sacrifice measured, according to the scriptures, the land for the sacrificial platform. And the platform was decked with valuable articles and with Brahmanas. And it was full of precious things and paddy. And the Ritwika sat upon it at ease. And after the sacrificial platform had been thus constructed according to rule and as desired, they installed the king at the snake-sacrifice for the attainment of its object. And before the commencement of the snake-Sacrifice that was to come, there occurred this very important incident foreboding obstruction to the sacrifice. For when the sacrificial platform was being constructed, a professional builder of great intelligence and well-versed in the knowledge of laying foundations, a Suta by caste, well-acquainted with the Puranas, said, ‘The soil upon which and the time at which the measurement for the sacrificial platform has been made, indicate that this sacrifice will not be completed, a Brahmana becoming the reason thereof.’ Hearing this, the king, before his installation, gave orders to his gate-keepers not to admit anybody without his knowledge.”