Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) (14 page)

‘Thereafter, Suparna happily lived in that forest with his mother. He delighted Vinata by eating snakes, being honoured by all birds and always earning fame. Without a doubt, he who hears this story or recites it in an assembly of Brahmanas, will attain heaven, obtaining his share of merit from the glorification of the great-souled lord of the birds.’

Shounaka said, ‘O, son of a suta! You have told us why the snakes were cursed by their mother. You have told us why Vinata was cursed by her son. You have told us about the boons granted to Kadru and Vinata by their husband. You have given us the names of the two birds who were born from Vinata. O son of a suta! But you have not told us the names of the snakes. We wish to hear their names, at least those who are chief among them.’

Souti said, ‘O one who is blessed with the power of austerities! The names of the snakes are many. I will not mention all their names, but only the main ones. Listen. The first one to be born was Shesha and Vasuki came after him. Then Airavata, Takshaka, Karkotaka, Dhananjaya, Kaliya, Maninaga, the snake Apurana, Pinjaraka,
Elapatra, Vamana, Nila, Anila, Kalmasha, Shabala, Aryaka, Adika, Shalapotaka, Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, Vimalapindaka, Apta, Kotanaka, Shankha, Valishikha, Nishthayunaka, Hemaguha, Nahusha, Pingala, Bahyakarna, Hastipada, Mudgarapindaka, Kambala, Ashvatara, Kaliyaka, Vritta, Samvartaka, the two snakes known as Padma, Shankhanaka, Sphandaka, Kshemaka, Pindaraka, Karavira, Pushpadamshtra, Haridraka, Aparajita, Jyotika, Shrivaha, Kauravya, Dhritarashtra,
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Pushkara, Shalyaka, Virajas, Subahu, the mighty Shalipinda, Hastibhadra, Pitharaka, Kumuda, Kumudaksha, Tittiri, Halika, Karkara, Akarakara, Mukhara, Konavasana, Kunjara, Kurara, Prabhakara, Kundodara and Mahodara.

‘O best of the twice-born! I have told you the names of the chief snakes. Since there are too many names, I have not told you the names of the others. O one blessed with austerities! I believe the progeny and the offspring of the progeny to be innumerable. Therefore, I will not mention them. O one blessed with austerities! There are many thousands, millions
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and hundreds of millions
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of snakes in the world. One cannot recount all their numbers.’

Shounaka said, ‘O son! You have told us about the many valorous and invincible serpents. Now that you have told me about their curse, what did they do after that?’

Souti said, ‘The illustrious and greatly famous lord Shesha left Kadru and practised severe austerities. He lived on air and observed rigid vows. He went to Mount Gandhamadana and practised his
austerities in Badari, Gokarna, Pushkararanya
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and the slopes of the Himalayas. He spent his time in these sacred tirthas, always rigid in observing his vows and controlling his senses.

‘The grandfather
¹⁰⁹
saw him engaged in terrible austerities, a lord with matted hair and dressed in bark, his skin, flesh and muscles dried up. Addressing the ascetic engaged in his austerities and truthful vows, the grandfather said, “O Shesha! What are you doing? Let the welfare of all beings also be in your thoughts. O unblemished one! You are causing pain to all beings through your severe austerities. O Shesha! Tell me what the wish in your heart is.” Shesha replied, “My brothers who shared the same womb are wicked of mind. I do not wish to live with them. Please allow me this. Like great enemies, they are always jealous of each other. I am therefore engaged in austerities. I do not wish to see them. O grandfather! They show no kindness for Vinata or her son, though Vinata’s son is also our brother. They always show him hatred. So does he. Because of the boon granted by the great-souled Kashyapa, our father, he is much stronger. Therefore, I shall carry on with these austerities until I have shed this body of mine. I will not associate with my brothers, in this life or another.”

‘When Shesha uttered these words, Brahma said, “O Shesha! I know what all your brothers do. There is a great danger that looms before them because of their mother’s offence. O snake! But earlier, I have already provided for an exception. O Shesha! Do not grieve for any of your brothers. Choose whatever boon you wish for from me. I am extremely pleased with you and I wish to grant you a boon. O best of the snakes! It is good that your mind is fixed on dharma. Let your mind be established even more firmly on dharma.” Shesha replied, “O divine grandfather! O lord! I ask for the boon that my mind always delight in dharma, in tranquillity and in austerities.”

‘Brahma said, “O Shesha! I am extremely pleased with your self-denial and desire for tranquillity. For the welfare of all creatures, let the words that you have expressed be fulfilled at my command. O Shesha! This wide earth is very unstable with its mountains and
forests, towns, habitations and oceans. Bear it up properly and well, so that it is stable.” Shesha replied, “O divine Prajapati! O granter of boons! O lord of the earth! O lord of every being! O lord of the universe! As you command, I will hold the earth steady. Please place it on my head.” Brahma said, “O best of the snakes! O Shesha! Go under the earth and she herself will open up a passage for you. By holding up the earth, you will perform an act greatly valued by me.” Shesha agreed. The first among the snakes, the first one to be born, entered the passage in the earth and remained there. He carries the goddess earth, encircled by a girdle of oceans, on his head.

‘Brahma said, “O Shesha! You are the best of the snakes. You are the god of dharma, because you singly hold up the earth, encircling her with your endless coils. This is no less than what I myself, or the cleaver of Bala,
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can do.” Thus does the powerful snake Ananta
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always live under the ground, holding up the earth on Lord Brahma’s command. Then the grandfather, the illustrious lord who is the foremost among the gods, provided Vinata’s son Garuda to Ananta as a helper.’

Souti said, ‘Vasuki, best among snakes, heard about the curse from his mother and wondered about how it might be aborted. He held a consultation with Airavata and all his other brothers, those who were devoted to dharma. Vasuki said, “O unblemished ones! As you know, a curse has been pronounced on all of us. We should have consultations to free ourselves from this curse. There is no curse that does not have a remedy. O snakes! But he who has been cursed by his mother has no remedy. My heart trembles on hearing that this curse was uttered before the immutable, immeasurable and truthful one.
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Without a doubt, our annihilation is imminent. Otherwise,
the immutable lord would have prevented our mother from imposing the curse. Therefore, let us consult now to see how the health of the snakes can be preserved. Let us not waste time. Through our consultations, we may be able to find a means of escape, like in ancient times the gods regained the lost Agni who had hidden himself inside a cave, so that Janamejaya’s sacrifice for the destruction of the snakes does not take place or is overcome.” Thus addressed, all of Kadru’s offspring assembled. They were wise in counsels and put forward their views.

‘Some snakes present said, “Let us assume the form of bulls among Brahmanas and beg Janamejaya to call off the sacrifice.” Other snakes who believed themselves to be wise said, “All of us will become his best advisers. Without a doubt, he will then ask for our considered opinion on all the rituals and we will render him advice that the sacrifice should be stopped. Thinking us to be extremely wise, the wise king will certainly ask us about the sacrifice and we will give reasons why it should not be held. We will point out many serious evils, in this world and the next, that will result and show causes and reasons why the sacrifice should not be held. Or if a preceptor, who is known to be devoted to the king’s welfare and is well-versed in the rites of a snake-sacrifice, is appointed as the priest, one of us can bite and kill him so that he is dispatched to the land of Yama. If the sacrificial priest is killed, there will be no sacrifice. If other experts in snake-sacrifices are appointed as officiating priests, we will bite them too and our objective will be attained.” Some other snakes who were devoted to dharma said, “This advice is not good. It is not proper to kill Brahmanas. Confronted with any danger, ultimate pacification is only possible when the remedy is based on dharma. As we know,
adharma
only destroys the entire world.” Other snakes said, “Let us become clouds luminescent with lightning and rain down showers so as to extinguish the sacrificial fire.” Other superior snakes said, “Let us go in the night, unobserved by anyone, and steal the ladles for the sacrifice. That will bring an obstruction. Or let the snakes go in their hundreds and thousands to the sacrifice and bite everyone and create a terror. Or let the snakes defile the pure food with their dung and urine, so that all
the food is destroyed.” Others said, “Let us become officiating priests at the sacrifice and obstruct it by demanding our dakshina
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at the beginning. Let us overpower the king, so that he does that which we ask him to.” Others said, “When the king is sporting in the water, let us carry him home and tie him up, so that the sacrifice is not held.” Others, thinking themselves to be virtuous, said, “Let us go to the king and bite him at once, so that our objective is attained. Through his death, the root of all our afflictions will be severed. This is the final result of our wisdom and consultations. O king! If you approve of this, let us proceed immediately.”

‘Having said all this, they looked at Vasuki, the lord of the snakes. After thinking for a while, Vasuki told the snakes, “O snakes! This final advice of yours is not fit to be carried out. Not a single one of the plans given by the snakes seems right to me. What can I suggest that will be for our welfare? That is the reason I am worried. The credit and the blame for the act will rest on me alone.’

Souti said, ‘Having heard what all the snakes and Vasuki had to say, Elapatra said, “This sacrifice is certain. The Pandava, King Janamejaya, from whom great terror for us results, is also certain. O king!
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One who is afflicted by destiny can find a remedy in destiny alone. There can be no other recourse. O best of the snakes! The source of our danger is destiny. Therefore, it is only destiny that can be our refuge. Listen to my words. O best of the snakes! When that curse was imposed, I was frightened and climbed up into my mother’s lap. O best of the snakes! O immensely radiant lord! From there, I heard the sorrowful gods speak to the grandfather.

‘“The gods said, ‘O grandfather! O god of the gods! Who but the harsh Kadru, having borne such beloved children, can curse them in this way and in front of you too? O grandfather! And you also approved of her curse. We wish to know why she was not stopped.’

‘“Brahma said, ‘The snakes have become numerous. They are cruel, terrible in valour and full of poison. Because of the welfare of all other creatures, I did not prevent Kadru. The snakes which are destined to be destroyed are poisonous ones that have a propensity to bite, those that bite for little reason, the mean and evil ones, not snakes that follow dharma. Hear how those snakes can escape from that terrible danger when the time comes. In the line of the Yayavaras, there will be born a great rishi, intelligent, austere and self-controlled, who will be known by the name of Jaratkaru. That Jaratkaru will have a son named Astika, who will also be blessed by the power of austerities. He will bring an end to the sacrifice and snakes who are virtuous will escape.’

‘“The gods asked, ‘O god! On whom will Jaratkaru, foremost among sages and gifted with great powers of asceticism, beget that great-souled and powerful son?’

‘“Brahma said, ‘O gods! The powerful one, the best of the Brahmanas, will beget a powerful son on a woman who will have the same name as his own.”’

‘Elapatra said, “The gods agreed with the grandfather that it would happen that way. The gods went away and so did the grandfather God. O Vasuki! I see before me your sister, who bears the name of Jaratkaru. Give her as alms to the rishi of rigid vows when he comes looking for alms, so that this great danger to the snakes may be pacified. I have heard that this is the means of escape.”’

Souti said, ‘O best of the twice-born! When the snakes heard Elapatra’s words, they were delighted, and applauded. From that
day, Vasuki took great care of that maiden Jaratkaru, his sister, and was relieved. Not long after this, all the gods and the asuras churned Varuna’s abode.
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The serpent Vasuki, strongest of the strong, became the rope used for churning. After this work was over, he appeared before the grandfather. The gods and Vasuki told the grandfather, “O illustrious lord! Vasuki is suffering because of the fear of the curse. O God! He desires the welfare of his relatives, but the spike from his mother’s curse pierces his heart. Please draw it out. The king of the snakes always does that which is pleasing to us and is our benefactor. O lord of the gods! Please grant him a favour and pacify the fever in his mind.”

‘Brahma said, “O immortal ones! I have myself mentally thought about what you have said and had earlier inspired the snake Elapatra to utter those words. The time has come. Let the king of the snakes carry out those words. Only the wicked ones will be destroyed, not those who follow the path of dharma. The Brahmana Jaratkaru has been born and is engaged in austerities. At the appropriate time, let him
¹¹⁶
give away his sister Jaratkaru. O gods! What the snake Elapatra proposed for the welfare of the snakes is true. It cannot be otherwise.”’

Souti said, ‘On hearing the grandfather’s words, the king of the snakes appointed a large number of snakes to keep a continuous watch on Jaratkaru. He said, “When Lord Jaratkaru exhibits the desire for a wife, come immediately and inform me. Our future welfare depends on this.”’

Shounaka said, ‘O son of a suta! I wish to know why the great-souled rishi, whom you have referred to as Jaratkaru, came to be famous by that name on earth. What is the origin of the name Jaratkaru?’