Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) (17 page)

Souti said, ‘O one blessed with the power of austerities! As soon as her husband left, Jaratkaru went to her brother and told him what had happened. The best of the snakes heard this unpleasant news and told his sister, who was more miserable than he was, “O fortunate one! You know what had to be done and why you were given. A son was supposed to be born for the welfare of the snakes. That valorous one was supposed to have saved us from the snake-sacrifice. In ancient times, this is what the grandfather and the gods told me. O fortunate one! Have you conceived through that best of sages? It is my wish that the wise man’s marriage should not be fruitless. Without a doubt, it is not appropriate that I should ask you a question on such a subject. But the subject is too serious for me not to ask you. I know that your husband is always engaged in austerities and is prone to anger. I shall not follow him, because he might curse me. O fortunate one! Tell me what your husband has done and thereby pull out the terrible stake that has been implanted for a long time in my heart.” Being thus asked, Jaratkaru consoled the tormented Vasuki, king of snakes, and said, “I asked the great-souled and great ascetic about our offspring. He said it is there and left. I do not recollect his ever having spoken a lie, even in jest. O king! Why should he then utter a lie on such a serious subject? He said, ‘O snake woman! Do not sorrow over the fruit of your action.
A son, resplendent as the fire and the sun, will be born to you.’ O brother! Having said this, my husband went away to his hermitage. Let the great distress that preys on your mind be removed.” On hearing this, Vasuki, the king of snakes, was delighted and accepted his sister’s words.

‘The best of the snakes worshipped his sister with kindness, appropriate praise, gifts and homage. O best of the Brahmanas! The immensely radiant embryo grew in her womb like the luminescent sun, like the moon waxing in the sky during shuklapaksha. O Brahmana! At the appropriate time, the snake’s sister gave birth to a son who was like a divine child, the destroyer of the fears of his father and mother. He grew up in the house of the king of snakes and studied the Vedas and the Vedangas from the sage Chyavana, the son of Bhrigu. Even as a child, he was strict in adherence to his vows and gifted with intelligence, spirituality and qualities. He became famous in the worlds by the name of Astika. He was known as Astika, because while he was still in his mother’s womb, his father went away to the forest, saying “
asti
”.
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Even as a child, he was extremely intelligent. He was carefully watched over in the house of the king of snakes. He was like the golden and illustrious Lord Shulapani,
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the lord of the gods. To the great delight of all the snakes, he grew up.’

Shounaka asked, ‘At that time, what did King Janamejaya ask his ministers about his father’s ascent to heaven? Tell me that again in detail.’

Souti replied, ‘O Brahmana! Hear what the king asked his ministers and all that they told him about Parikshit’s death. Janamejaya said, “You know all that happened to my father and how my greatly illustrious father came about his death. When I have heard all about my father in complete detail from you, I shall learn all that is good and not that which is evil.”

‘Being asked by the great-souled King Janamejaya, the virtuous and wise ministers replied, “Your father was devoted to dharma, great-souled and a protector of his subjects. Hear how that great-souled one led his life. The four varnas were respectively established in their own dharmas and the king, who was himself well versed with dharma protected them there, in accordance with the dictates of dharma. Illustrious and with infinite might, he protected the goddess earth. He hated no one. Nor did anyone hate him. Like Prajapati himself, he treated all beings impartially. O king! Established in their respective duties, the Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras were protected impartially by the king. He maintained widows, orphans, the disabled and the poor. He was handsome and like another moon to all creatures. Through that truthful and greatly powerful king, everyone was content and blessed with good fortune. The king became Sharadvata’s student in the science of weapons.
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O Janamejaya! Govinda
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loved your father. He was immensely famous and loved by all the worlds. He was born in Uttara’s womb when the Kuru lineage was almost destroyed. Therefore, Soubhadra’s
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powerful son came to be known as Parikshit. The king was learned in royal norms of dharma and artha and had all the qualities. He was in control of his senses and of himself. He was intelligent and was served by those who were wise. He had great
wisdom and was completely familiar with the norms of righteous conduct. He had conquered the six vices.
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Your father protected his subjects for sixty years. His end was preordained, through a snake, and it couldn’t be avoided. O best of men! After him, you have lawfully ascended this ancestral kingdom of the Kurus and will rule for 1000 years. O protector of every being! You were instated when you were a child.”

‘Janamejaya said, “In our lineage, no king has ever been born who did not look after the welfare of his subjects and please them. Consider especially the conduct of my grandfathers,
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who were always devoted to a great life. How did my father, who was like them, come to his end? Describe it accurately to me. I wish to hear it.”’

Souti said, ‘Thus asked by the king, the ministers, who were always engaged in that which brought pleasure to the king, told him everything that had happened. The ministers said, “O king! Your father was always addicted to hunting, like the greatly fortunate warrior and great archer, Pandu. He handed over all matters concerning the running of the kingdom to us. On one occasion, he was roaming in the forest and pierced a deer with an arrow. Having thus shot the deer, he pursued it deep into the forest, alone and on foot, with his sword, quiver and bow ready. But your father could not find that lost deer deep inside the forest. He was sixty years old and aged and felt tired and hungry. He then saw a great sage in that great forest. The lord of kings asked the sage, who at that time was observing a vow of silence and thus the sage did not reply to any of the questions. In his vow of silence, the sage sat motionless and peaceful like a piece of wood, and hungry and thirsty and not knowing that the sage was observing a vow of silence, the king became angry with the sage. Being angry, your father insulted the sage. O best of the Bharata lineage! With the end of his bow, he picked up a dead snake from the ground and placed it around the shoulders of that pure-souled sage. But that wise one did not utter a
word, good or bad, and did not become angry. He remained as he was, with the snake around his shoulders.”’

‘The ministers said, “O lord of kings! Having placed the snake around the shoulders of the sage, the king, who was weak with hunger, returned to his own city. The rishi had an immensely famous son named Shringi, who had been born from a cow. He was extremely powerful, with great energy and prone to extreme anger. This sage had gone to Brahma to worship him. O tiger of the Kuru lineage! When he was given leave to depart, he was returning and learnt from a friend how your father had insulted his father, how your father had hung a dead snake around his father’s shoulders and that he still bore it, though he had done no injury. O king! His father was a great ascetic and supreme among sages. He was pure and had control over his senses and the performer of wonderful deeds. His soul was radiant with the power of his austerities and he had control over all his limbs. His practices were pure and his words were also pure. He was perfectly balanced, without avarice, without pettiness and without jealousy. He was old and he was under a vow of silence. He was the refuge of all beings. Such was the person your father insulted.

‘“However, the rishi’s son cursed your father in anger. Though he was still a child, he had great energy and the radiance that comes with age. He instantly touched water and, blazing with energy, angrily spoke about your father. ‘Look at the power of my austerities. An evil one has left a dead snake around my innocent father’s shoulders. Within seven nights from now, the angry and radiant snake Takshaka will burn him down with the energy of his poison.’ Having said this, he went to where his father was. On seeing his father, he told him about the curse he had uttered. That tiger among sages sent a message to your father. ‘O lord of the earth! You have been cursed by my son that Takshaka will burn you down with his poison. O king! Be
prepared.’ O Janamejaya! On hearing this terrible news, your father was alarmed and took every possible precaution against Takshaka, supreme among snakes.

‘“When the seventh day arrived, a brahmarshi named Kashyapa was on his way to visit the king. Takshaka, chief among the snakes, saw Kashaypa as he was hurrying, and asked him, ‘Where are you going so swiftly? What is it that you want to do?’ Kashyapa replied, ‘O Brahmana!
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I am going to where King Parikshit, the best of the Kurus, is. Today, he will be killed by the snake Takshaka. I am hurrying there so that I can cure him from his fever. If I protect him, no snake can oppress him.’ Takshaka said, ‘O Brahmana! Why do you wish to revive the king after I have bitten him? Don’t hesitate to tell me what your desire is and I will give it to you. Return home.’ When he said he was going there with the desire of acquiring riches, the snake told the great-souled one in pleasant words, ‘O, unblemished one! Take from me more riches than you hope to obtain from the king and return.’ Thus addressed by the snake, Kashyapa, best among men, obtained as much of riches as he obtained from Takshaka and returned.

‘“After the Brahmana returned, Takshaka disguised himself and went to your virtuous father, king and best of kings. He was fully prepared in his palace, but he burnt him with the fire of his poison. O tiger among men! It was after this that you victoriously ascended the throne. O best among kings! Though the account is extremely terrible, we have told you everything in entirety, the way it was seen and heard. O supreme among kings! You have now heard how that great king was destroyed and how the rishi Shamika was insulted. Now do what needs to be done.”

‘Janamejaya said, “I first wish to hear what was said between Kashyapa and the chief among snakes in that deserted forest. Who witnessed what transpired and how did you hear this? After I have heard this, I will think of a means to destroy the snakes.”

‘The ministers said, “O king! Listen to how we came to know about the encounter between the chief among the Brahmanas and the chief among the snakes. O lord of the earth! A man had climbed
a tall tree, looking for dry twigs that could be used as kindling for a sacrificial fire. Perched on the tree, he was not seen by the Brahmana or the snake. O king! He was also reduced to ashes along with the tree. O lord of kings! The Brahmana’s powers revived him, along with the tree. O chief among kings! He later returned to the city and told us the story. What we recounted to you about the encounter between Takshaka and the Brahmana was exactly as it happened and exactly as it was witnessed. O king! O tiger among kings! Now that you have heard it, decide what must be done.”’

Souti said, ‘On hearing the words of his ministers, King Janamejaya burnt in grief and wrung his hands. The lotus-eyed king heaved long and deep sighs and wept, tears streaming from his eyes. Struck with deep grief, the lord of the earth said, “I have heard from you the account of my father’s ascent to heaven. Now hear from me what my firm decision is. I think no time should be lost in taking action against the evil Takshaka, since he is the one who killed my father. That evil one alone burnt the king and made Shringi’s curse come true. If the evil one
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had gone, my father would surely have been alive. What harm could have come to him
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had the king been revived through Kashyapa’s blessings and the precautions taken by his ministers? It was his delusion that made him prevent Kashyapa, supreme among Brahmanas, from reviving the invincible king. The transgression of the evil Takshaka is a great one. He gave riches to the Brahmana so that he might not revive the king. My father must be avenged, to bring great pleasure to me, Utanka and all of you.”’

Souti said, ‘When the illustrious king uttered these words, the ministers approved and the king took an oath that he would undertake a snake-sacrifice. The lord of the earth, Parikshit’s son
and the king who was a tiger of the Bharata lineage, then summoned his priest and officiating priests who knew about the sacrifice. He who was eloquent in the uttered words that would make the deed successful said, “I must act against the evil Takshaka who brought violence to my father. Please tell me what I must do. Do you know of an act whereby the snake Takshaka and his relatives can be hurled into the blazing fire? Just as my father was earlier burnt with the poison, I wish to burn that evil snake.” The officiating priests replied, “O king! There is a sacrifice that the gods have recommended for those like you. It is known as the snake-sacrifice and it is described in the ancient tales. O lord of men! No one but you can offer this sacrifice. Those who know the ancient tales have told us there is such a sacrifice and we know it.” O supreme one! Thus addressed, the rajarshi thought that Takshaka had already been hurled into the mouth of a blazing fire and burnt.

‘The king then told the Brahmanas who were learned in the mantras, “I will perform the sacrifice. Collect the required ingredients.” O supreme among the Brahmanas! Thereupon the officiating priests, who were hard in their resolve and learned in the shastras, measured out a piece of land as the sacrificial platform, in accordance with the prescribed rites. It was graced by the presence of many learned Brahmanas and adorned with every valuable object, abundant quantities of riches and foodgrains. Before the snake-sacrifice could begin, they then instated the king on this sacrificial platform.

‘Earlier, when the sacrificial platform was being built and the sacrifice had not started, a great incident occurred that suggested the sacrifice might be disrupted. There was a man who was a suta. He was an extremely wise builder and one who was skilled in the knowledge of architecture. He was also a raconteur of ancient tales. This bard said, “The land on which the platform was constructed and the time at which it was measured indicate that this sacrifice will not be completed. A Brahmana will be the cause.” On hearing this, before being instated, the king instructed the door-keeper that no one should be allowed entry without his knowledge.