The Birth of Astika

Verse 1 (1.15.1)

मात्रा हि भुजगाः शप्ताः पूर्वं ब्रह्मविदां वर । जनमेजयस्य वो यज्ञे धक्ष्यत्यनिलसारथिः ॥

mātrā hi bhujagāḥ śaptāḥ pūrvaṃ brahmavidāṃ vara | janamejayasya vo yajñe dhakṣyatyanilasārathiḥ

For long ago, best of the knowers of Brahman, the snakes had been cursed by their mother: "At Janamejaya's sacrifice the fire, whose charioteer is the wind, will burn you."

Verse 2 (1.15.2)

तस्य शापस्य शान्त्यर्थं प्रददौ पन्नगोत्तमः । स्वसारमृषये तस्मै सुव्रताय महात्मने ॥

tasya śāpasya śāntyarthaṃ pradadau pannagottamaḥ | svasāramṛṣaye tasmai suvratāya mahātmane

To quiet that curse, the best of serpents gave his sister to that sage, the great-souled man of good vows.

Verse 3 (1.15.3)

स च तां प्रतिजग्राह विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा । आस्तीको नाम पुत्रश्च तस्यां जज्ञे महामनाः ॥

sa ca tāṃ pratijagrāha vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā | āstīko nāma putraśca tasyāṃ jajñe mahāmanāḥ

He accepted her with the rite laid down by scripture, and a son named Astika was born to her, a youth of lofty mind,

Verse 4 (1.15.4)

तपस्वी च महात्मा च वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः । समः सर्वस्य लोकस्य पितृमातृभयापहः ॥

tapasvī ca mahātmā ca vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ | samaḥ sarvasya lokasya pitṛmātṛbhayāpahaḥ

an ascetic, great-souled, master of the Vedas and Vedangas, impartial toward the whole world, who took away the fear of his father's and his mother's people alike.

Verse 5 (1.15.5)

अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य पाण्डवेयो नराधिपः । आजहार महायज्ञं सर्पसत्रमिति श्रुतिः ॥

atha dīrghasya kālasya pāṇḍaveyo narādhipaḥ | ājahāra mahāyajñaṃ sarpasatramiti śrutiḥ

Then, after a long time, a king descended from the Pandavas held a great sacrifice known as the snake sacrifice; so tradition tells.

Verse 6 (1.15.6)

तस्मिन्प्रवृत्ते सत्रे तु सर्पाणामन्तकाय वै । मोचयामास ताञ्शापादास्तीकः सुमहातपाः ॥

tasminpravṛtte satre tu sarpāṇāmantakāya vai | mocayāmāsa tāñśāpādāstīkaḥ sumahātapāḥ

When that sacrifice was under way for the destruction of the snakes, Astika, of very great austerity, freed them from the curse.

Verse 7 (1.15.7)

भ्रातॄंश्च मातुलांश्चैव तथैवान्यान्स पन्नगान् । पितॄंश्च तारयामास संतत्या तपसा तथा ॥

bhrātṝṃśca mātulāṃścaiva tathaivānyānsa pannagān | pitṝṃśca tārayāmāsa saṃtatyā tapasā tathā

He saved his brothers and his maternal uncles, and the other serpents as well; and he delivered his fathers through offspring and through austerity.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 8 (1.15.8)

व्रतैश्च विविधैर्ब्रह्मन्स्वाध्यायैश्चानृणोऽभवत् । देवांश्च तर्पयामास यज्ञैर्विविधदक्षिणैः ॥

vrataiśca vividhairbrahmansvādhyāyaiścānṛṇo'bhavat | devāṃśca tarpayāmāsa yajñairvividhadakṣiṇaiḥ

Through various vows, brahmin, and through study of the Veda, he became free of debt; he satisfied the gods with sacrifices rich in varied gifts,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 9 (1.15.9)

ऋषींश्च ब्रह्मचर्येण सन्तत्या च पितामहान् । अपहृत्य गुरुं भारं पितॄणां संशितव्रतः ॥

ṛṣīṃśca brahmacaryeṇa santatyā ca pitāmahān | apahṛtya guruṃ bhāraṃ pitṝṇāṃ saṃśitavrataḥ

the sages with celibate study, and the ancestors with offspring. Having lifted the heavy burden from his fathers, the one of rigorous vows,

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रह्मचर्येम → ब्रह्मचर्येण (misprint in Wikisource; instrumental ending) and गुरं → गुरुं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign, "heavy" agreeing with भारम्). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 10 (1.15.10)

जरत्कारुर्गतः स्वर्गं सहितः स्वैः पितामहैः । आस्तीकं च सुतं प्राप्य धर्मं चानुत्तमं मुनिः ॥

jaratkārurgataḥ svargaṃ sahitaḥ svaiḥ pitāmahaiḥ | āstīkaṃ ca sutaṃ prāpya dharmaṃ cānuttamaṃ muniḥ

the sage Jaratkaru, went to heaven together with his grandfathers, having gained a son, Astika, and dharma beyond compare.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 11 (1.15.11)

जरत्कारुः सुमहता कालेन स्वर्गमेयिवान् । एतदाख्यानमास्तीकं यथावत्कथितं मया । प्रब्रूहि भृगुशार्दूल किमन्यत्कथयामि ते ॥

jaratkāruḥ sumahatā kālena svargameyivān | etadākhyānamāstīkaṃ yathāvatkathitaṃ mayā | prabrūhi bhṛguśārdūla kimanyatkathayāmi te

After a very long time Jaratkaru reached heaven. This is the tale of Astika, told by me just as it is. Say, tiger among the Bhrigus, what else shall I tell you?

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).