Elapatra's Counsel

Verse 1 (1.38.1)

सर्पाणां तु वचः श्रुत्वा सर्वेषामिति चेति च । वासुकेश्च वचः श्रुत्वा एलापत्रोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥

sarpāṇāṃ tu vacaḥ śrutvā sarveṣāmiti ceti ca | vāsukeśca vacaḥ śrutvā elāpatro'bravīdidam

When he had heard the words of all the serpents, each saying "this way" and "that way," and had heard Vasuki's words too, Elapatra spoke:

Verse 2 (1.38.2)

प्रागेव दर्शिता बुद्धिर्मयैषा भुजगोत्तमाः । हेयेति यदि वो बुद्धिस्तवापि च तथा प्रभो ॥

prāgeva darśitā buddhirmayaiṣā bhujagottamāḥ | heyeti yadi vo buddhistavāpi ca tathā prabho

I set out this idea once before, best of serpents. If you judge that it should be set aside, and you too, my lord, think the same —

Note on the text: Removed a stray wiki mark (`). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 3 (1.38.3)

अस्तु कामं ममाद्यापि बुद्धिः स्मरणमागता । तां शृणुध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि याथातथ्येन पन्नगाः ॥

astu kāmaṃ mamādyāpi buddhiḥ smaraṇamāgatā | tāṃ śṛṇudhvaṃ pravakṣyāmi yāthātathyena pannagāḥ

so be it. But even now a thought has come back to my memory. Listen, serpents; I will tell it to you exactly as it is.

Note on the text: Corrected मभाद्यापि → ममाद्यापि (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म). Removed a stray wiki mark (') and a doubled danda. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 4 (1.38.4)

न स यज्ञो न भविता न स राजा तथाविधः । जनमेजयः पाण्डवेयो यतोऽस्माकं महद्भयम् ॥

na sa yajño na bhavitā na sa rājā tathāvidhaḥ | janamejayaḥ pāṇḍaveyo yato'smākaṃ mahadbhayam

That sacrifice cannot fail to take place, and the king is not one to be turned from it — Janamejaya, the descendant of the Pandavas, from whom our great danger comes.

Verse 5 (1.38.5)

दैवेनोपहतो राजन्यो भवेदिह पूरुषः । स दैवमेवाश्रयेत नान्यत्तत्र परायणम् ॥

daivenopahato rājanyo bhavediha pūruṣaḥ | sa daivamevāśrayeta nānyattatra parāyaṇam

A man in this world who is struck down by fate, O king, must take refuge in fate alone; he has no other recourse.

Verse 6 (1.38.6)

तदिदं चैवमस्माकं भयं पन्नगसत्तमाः । दैवमेवाश्रयामोऽत्र शृणुध्वं च वचो मम ॥

tadidaṃ caivamasmākaṃ bhayaṃ pannagasattamāḥ | daivamevāśrayāmo'tra śṛṇudhvaṃ ca vaco mama

This danger of ours, best of serpents, is of that same kind. Let us take refuge in fate here; and listen to what I have to say.

Verse 7 (1.38.7)

अहं शापे समुत्सृष्टे समश्रौषं वचस्तदा । मातुरुत्सङ्गमारूढो भयात्पन्नगसत्तमाः । देवानां पन्नगश्रेष्ठास्तीक्ष्णास्तीक्ष्णा इति प्रभो ॥

ahaṃ śāpe samutsṛṣṭe samaśrauṣaṃ vacastadā | māturutsaṅgamārūḍho bhayātpannagasattamāḥ | devānāṃ pannagaśreṣṭhāstīkṣṇāstīkṣṇā iti prabho

When the curse was uttered, best of serpents, I had climbed into my mother's lap out of fear, and there I heard the words of the gods. "Cruel, cruel!" they said, my lord.

Note on the text: Corrected तीक्ष्णास्तीक्ष्ण इति → तीक्ष्णास्तीक्ष्णा इति (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign, as in the critical edition). = 1.34.5 + 1.34.6ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 8 (1.38.8)

शापदुःखाग्नितप्तानां पन्नगानामनामयम् । कृपया परयाऽऽविष्टाः प्रार्थयन्तो दिवौकसः ॥

śāpaduḥkhāgnitaptānāṃ pannagānāmanāmayam | kṛpayā parayā''viṣṭāḥ prārthayanto divaukasaḥ

Filled with deep compassion, the dwellers of heaven, seeking the welfare of the serpents scorched by the fire of the curse's pain, appealed to Brahma:

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (` and ') and a doubled danda. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension), which has a different half-verse (1.34.6cd) at this point.

Verse 9 (1.38.9)

का हि लब्ध्वा प्रियान्पुत्राञ्शपेदेवं पितामह । ऋते कद्रूं तीक्ष्णरूपां देवदेव तवाग्रतः ॥

kā hi labdhvā priyānputrāñśapedevaṃ pitāmaha | ṛte kadrūṃ tīkṣṇarūpāṃ devadeva tavāgrataḥ

Grandfather, what woman, having been granted dear sons, would curse them like this — and in your very presence, god of gods — but Kadru, cruel by nature?

Verse 10 (1.38.10)

तथेति च वचस्तस्यास्त्वयाप्युक्तं पितामह । इच्छाम एतद्विज्ञातुं कारणं यन्न वारिता ॥

tatheti ca vacastasyāstvayāpyuktaṃ pitāmaha | icchāma etadvijñātuṃ kāraṇaṃ yanna vāritā

And you too, Grandfather, said "So be it" to her words. We wish to know the reason why she was not stopped.

Verse 11 (1.38.11)

बहवः पन्नगास्तीक्ष्णा घोररूपा विषोल्बणाः । प्रजानां हितकामोऽहं न च वारितवांस्तदा ॥

bahavaḥ pannagāstīkṣṇā ghorarūpā viṣolbaṇāḥ | prajānāṃ hitakāmo'haṃ na ca vāritavāṃstadā

The serpents are many, cruel, terrible in form and full of venom. Wishing the good of all creatures, I did not stop her then.

Verse 12 (1.38.12)

ये दन्दशूकाः क्षुद्राश्च पापाचारा विषोल्बणाः । तेषां विनाशो भविता न तु ये धर्मचारिणः ॥

ye dandaśūkāḥ kṣudrāśca pāpācārā viṣolbaṇāḥ | teṣāṃ vināśo bhavitā na tu ye dharmacāriṇaḥ

Those that are biters, petty, evil in conduct and full of venom will perish; but not those who live by dharma.

Verse 13 (1.38.13)

यन्निमित्तं च भविता मोक्षस्तेषां महाभयात् । पन्नगानां निबोधध्वं तस्मिन्काले समागते ॥

yannimittaṃ ca bhavitā mokṣasteṣāṃ mahābhayāt | pannagānāṃ nibodhadhvaṃ tasminkāle samāgate

And hear what will bring about those serpents' release from the great danger when that time arrives.

Verse 14 (1.38.14)

यायावरकुले धीमान्भविष्यति महानृषिः । जरत्कारुरिति ख्यातस्तपस्वी नियतेन्द्रियः ॥

yāyāvarakule dhīmānbhaviṣyati mahānṛṣiḥ | jaratkāruriti khyātastapasvī niyatendriyaḥ

In the Yayavara family there will be a wise and great seer known as Jaratkaru, an ascetic with his senses restrained.

Verse 15 (1.38.15)

तस्य पुत्रो जरत्कारोर्भविष्यति तपोधनः । आस्तीको नाम यज्ञं स प्रतिषेत्स्यति तं तदा । तत्र मोक्ष्यन्ति भुजगा ये भविष्यन्ति धार्मिकाः ॥

tasya putro jaratkārorbhaviṣyati tapodhanaḥ | āstīko nāma yajñaṃ sa pratiṣetsyati taṃ tadā | tatra mokṣyanti bhujagā ye bhaviṣyanti dhārmikāḥ

To that Jaratkaru will be born a son rich in austerity, named Astika. He will then halt that sacrifice, and the serpents who are righteous will be set free there.

Verse 16 (1.38.16)

स मुनिप्रवरो ब्रह्मञ्जरत्कारुर्महातपाः । कस्यां पुत्रं महात्मानं जनयिष्यति वीर्यवान् ॥

sa munipravaro brahmañjaratkārurmahātapāḥ | kasyāṃ putraṃ mahātmānaṃ janayiṣyati vīryavān

That foremost of sages, Brahma, the mighty Jaratkaru of great austerity — in whom will he beget that great-souled son?

Verse 17 (1.38.17)

वासुकेर्भगिनी कन्या समुत्पन्ना सुशोभना । तस्मै दास्यति तां कन्यां वासुकिर्भुजगोत्तमः ॥

vāsukerbhaginī kanyā samutpannā suśobhanā | tasmai dāsyati tāṃ kanyāṃ vāsukirbhujagottamaḥ

A sister of Vasuki has been born, a beautiful maiden. Vasuki, best of serpents, will give that maiden to him.

Note on the text: Removed a stray wiki mark (`). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 18 (1.38.18)

तस्यां जनयिता पुत्रं वेदवेदाङ्गपारगम् । सनामायां सनामा स कन्यायां द्विजसत्तमः ॥

tasyāṃ janayitā putraṃ vedavedāṅgapāragam | sanāmāyāṃ sanāmā sa kanyāyāṃ dvijasattamaḥ

In her, a maiden bearing the same name as his own, that best of brahmins will beget a son who has mastered the Vedas and their auxiliary sciences.

Note on the text: Removed a stray wiki mark (') and a doubled danda. The first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second line = 1.34.15ab.

Verse 19 (1.38.19)

एवमस्त्विति तं देवाः पितामहमथाब्रुवन् । उक्त्वैवं वचनं देवान्विरिञ्चिस्त्रिदिवं ययौ ॥

evamastviti taṃ devāḥ pitāmahamathābruvan | uktvaivaṃ vacanaṃ devānviriñcistridivaṃ yayau

"So be it," the gods then said to the Grandfather. And having spoken thus to the gods, Viranchi went back to heaven.

Note on the text: Corrected उत्क्वैवं → उक्त्वैवं (misprint in Wikisource; garbled conjunct). Aligned by hand with 1.34.16 of the critical edition, whose second line differs.

Verse 20 (1.38.20)

सोऽहमेवं प्रपश्यामि वासुके भगिनी तव । जरत्कारुरिति ख्याता तां तस्मै प्रतिपादय ॥

so'hamevaṃ prapaśyāmi vāsuke bhaginī tava | jaratkāruriti khyātā tāṃ tasmai pratipādaya

So this is how I see it, Vasuki: your sister is known as Jaratkaru. Give her to him —

Verse 21 (1.38.21)

भैक्षवद्भिक्षमाणाय नागानां भयशान्तये । ऋषये सुव्रतायैनामेष मोक्षः श्रुतो मया ॥

bhaikṣavadbhikṣamāṇāya nāgānāṃ bhayaśāntaye | ṛṣaye suvratāyaināmeṣa mokṣaḥ śruto mayā

to the seer of good vows, when he comes asking for a bride as one begs for alms — to bring peace from the serpents' fear. This is the way of release I have heard.