Mahabharata, Book 1, Section LII: Astika Parvaआदिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 1.52.

52Sanskrit adhyāya 1.52 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

सौतिरुवाच।
ततः कर्म प्रववृते सर्पसत्रविधानतः।
पर्यक्रामंश्च विदिवत्स्वे स्वे कर्मणि याजकाः।।
प्रावृत्य कृष्णवासांसि धूम्रसंरक्तलोचनाः।
जुहुवुर्मन्त्रवच्चैव समिद्धं जातवेदसम्।।
कम्पयन्तश्च सर्वेषामुरगाणां मनांसि च।
सर्पानाजुहुवुस्तत्र सर्वानग्निमुखे तदा।।
ततः सर्पाः समापेतुः प्रदीप्ते हव्यवाहने।
विचेष्टमानाः कृपणमाह्वयन्तः परस्परम्।।
विस्फुरन्तः श्वसन्तश्च वेष्टयन्तः परस्परम्।
पुच्छैः शिरोभिश्च भृशं चित्रभानुं प्रपेदिरे।।
श्वेताः कृष्णाश्च नीलाश्च स्थविराः शिशवस्तथा।
नदन्तो विविधान्नादान्पेतुर्दीप्ते विभावसौ।।
क्रोशयोजनमात्रा हि गोकर्णस्य प्रमाणतः।
पतन्त्यजस्रं वेगेन वह्नावग्निमतां वर।।
एवं शतसहस्राणि प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च।
अवशानि विनष्टानि पन्नगानां तु तत्र वै।।
तुरगा इव तत्रान्ये हस्तिहस्ता इवापरे।
मत्ता इव च मातङ्गा महाकाया महाबलाः।।
उच्चावचाश्च बहवो नानावर्णा विषोल्बणाः।
घोराश्च परिघप्रख्या दन्दशूका महाबलाः।
प्रपेतुरग्नावुरगा मातृवाग्दण्डपीडिताः।।
।। इति श्रीमन्माहाभारते आदिपर्वणि
आस्तीकपर्वणि द्विपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः।। 52 ।।

English Ganguli

“Sauti said, ‘The snake-sacrifice then commenced according to due form. And the sacrificial priests, competent in their respective duties according to the ordinance, clad in black garments and their eyes red from contact with smoke, poured clarified butter into the blazing fire, uttering the appropriate mantras. And causing the hearts of all the snakes to tremble with fear, they poured clarified butter into the mouth of Agni uttering the names of the snakes. And the snakes thereupon began to fall into the blazing fire, benumbed and piteously calling upon one another. And swollen and breathing hard, and twining each other with their heads and tails, they came in large numbers and fell into the fire. The white, the black, the blue, the old and the young—all fell alike into the fire, uttering various cries. Those measuring a krosa, and those measuring a yojana, and those of the measure of a gokarna, fell continuously with great violence into that first of all fires. And hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of snakes, deprived of all control over their limbs, perished on that occasion. And amongst those that perished, there were some that were like horses, other like trunks of elephants, and others of huge bodies and strength like maddened elephants Of various colours and virulent poison, terrible and looking like maces furnished with iron-spikes, of great strength, ever inclined to bite, the snakes, afflicted with their mother’s curse, fell into the fire.’”