Preparing the Snake Sacrifice

Verse 1 (1.51.1)

एवमुक्त्वा ततः श्रीमान्मन्त्रिभिश्चानुमोदितः । आरुरोह प्रतिज्ञां स सर्पसत्राय पार्थिवः ॥

evamuktvā tataḥ śrīmānmantribhiścānumoditaḥ | āruroha pratijñāṃ sa sarpasatrāya pārthivaḥ

Having spoken thus, and with his ministers' approval, the glorious king took a vow to hold the snake sacrifice.

Note on the text: Corrected चानुमीदितः → चानुमोदितः (misprint in Wikisource; wrong vowel sign, the critical edition reads cānumoditaḥ).

Verse 2 (1.51.2)

ब्रह्मन्भरतशार्दूलो राजा पारिक्षितस्तदा । पुरोहितमथाहूय ऋत्विजो वसुधाधिपः ॥

brahmanbharataśārdūlo rājā pārikṣitastadā | purohitamathāhūya ṛtvijo vasudhādhipaḥ

Then, O brahmin, that tiger among the Bharatas, the king born of Parikshit, lord of the earth, summoned his family priest and the officiating priests,

Verse 3 (1.51.3)

अब्रवीद्वाक्यसंपन्नः कार्यसंपत्करं वचः । यो मे हिंसितवांस्तातं तक्षकः स दुरात्मवान् ॥

abravīdvākyasaṃpannaḥ kāryasaṃpatkaraṃ vacaḥ | yo me hiṃsitavāṃstātaṃ takṣakaḥ sa durātmavān

and, skilled in speech, spoke words meant to bring his purpose about: "Takshaka, that wicked one who killed my father:

Verse 4 (1.51.4)

प्रतिकुर्यां यथा तस्य तद्भवन्तो ब्रुवन्तु मे । अपि तत्कर्म विदितं भवतां येन पन्नगम् ॥

pratikuryāṃ yathā tasya tadbhavanto bruvantu me | api tatkarma viditaṃ bhavatāṃ yena pannagam

tell me how I may pay him back. Do you know of a rite by which I could cast the serpent

Verse 5 (1.51.5)

तक्षकं संप्रदीप्तेऽग्नौ प्रक्षिपेयं सबान्धवम् । यथा तेन पिता मह्यं पूर्वं दग्धो विषाग्निना । तथाऽहमपि तं पापं दग्धुमिच्छामि पन्नगम् ॥

takṣakaṃ saṃpradīpte'gnau prakṣipeyaṃ sabāndhavam | yathā tena pitā mahyaṃ pūrvaṃ dagdho viṣāgninā | tathā'hamapi taṃ pāpaṃ dagdhumicchāmi pannagam

Takshaka, with his kin, into a blazing fire? Just as he once burned my father with the fire of his venom, so I too wish to burn that wicked serpent."

Verse 6 (1.51.6)

अस्ति राजन्महत्सत्रं त्वदर्थं देवनिर्मितम् । सर्पसत्रमिति ख्यातं पुराणे परिपठ्यते ॥

asti rājanmahatsatraṃ tvadarthaṃ devanirmitam | sarpasatramiti khyātaṃ purāṇe paripaṭhyate

There is, O king, a great sacrifice devised by the gods for your sake. It is known as the snake sacrifice and is recited in the Purana.

Note on the text: Corrected महात्सत्रं → महत्सत्रं and सर्वसत्रम् → सर्पसत्रम् (misprints in Wikisource; 'महात्' is not a valid form, and the rite devised for the king is the snake sacrifice, as the critical edition reads mahat satraṃ … sarpasatram).

Verse 7 (1.51.7)

आहर्ता तस्य सत्रस्य त्वन्नान्योऽस्ति नराधिप । इति पौराणिकाः प्राहुरस्माकं चास्ति स क्रतुः ॥

āhartā tasya satrasya tvannānyo'sti narādhipa | iti paurāṇikāḥ prāhurasmākaṃ cāsti sa kratuḥ

No one but you, lord of men, is to perform that sacrifice; so say those versed in the Puranas, and we know that rite.

Verse 8 (1.51.8)

एवमुक्तः स राजर्षिर्मेने दग्धं हि तक्षकम् । हुताशनमुखे दीप्ते प्रविष्टमिति सत्तम ॥

evamuktaḥ sa rājarṣirmene dagdhaṃ hi takṣakam | hutāśanamukhe dīpte praviṣṭamiti sattama

Told this, O excellent one, the royal sage felt that Takshaka was already burned, already gone into the blazing mouth of the fire.

Verse 9 (1.51.9)

ततोऽब्रवीन्मन्त्रविदस्तान्राजा ब्राह्मणांस्तदा । आहरिष्यामि तत्सत्रं संभाराः संभ्रियन्तु मे ॥

tato'bravīnmantravidastānrājā brāhmaṇāṃstadā | āhariṣyāmi tatsatraṃ saṃbhārāḥ saṃbhriyantu me

Then the king said to those brahmins who knew the mantras: "I will perform that sacrifice; let the materials be gathered for me."

Verse 10 (1.51.10)

ततस्त ऋत्विजस्तस्य शास्त्रतो द्विजसत्तम । तं देशं मापयामासुर्यज्ञायतनकारणात् ॥

tatasta ṛtvijastasya śāstrato dvijasattama | taṃ deśaṃ māpayāmāsuryajñāyatanakāraṇāt

Then his officiating priests, O best of brahmins, measured out the ground according to the scriptures to make the place of sacrifice.

Verse 11 (1.51.11)

यथावद्वेदविद्वांसः सर्वे बुद्धेः परंगताः । ऋद्ध्या परमया युक्तमिष्टं द्विजगणैर्युतम् ॥

yathāvadvedavidvāṃsaḥ sarve buddheḥ paraṃgatāḥ | ṛddhyā paramayā yuktamiṣṭaṃ dvijagaṇairyutam

All of them were properly learned in the Vedas and had reached the far shore of understanding. The site was richly prosperous, pleasing, thronged with brahmins,

Verse 12 (1.51.12)

प्रभूतधनधान्याढ्यमृत्विग्भिः सुनिषेवितम् । निर्माय चापि विधिवद्यज्ञायतनमीप्सितम् ॥

prabhūtadhanadhānyāḍhyamṛtvigbhiḥ suniṣevitam | nirmāya cāpi vidhivadyajñāyatanamīpsitam

abundant in wealth and grain, and well attended by priests. Having duly built the sacrificial enclosure as was desired,

Verse 13 (1.51.13)

राजानं दीक्षयामासुः सर्पसत्राप्तये तदा । इदं चासीत्तत्र पूर्वं सर्पसत्रे भविष्यति ॥

rājānaṃ dīkṣayāmāsuḥ sarpasatrāptaye tadā | idaṃ cāsīttatra pūrvaṃ sarpasatre bhaviṣyati

they consecrated the king for the undertaking of the snake sacrifice. Now, before this, at that place where the snake sacrifice was to be held, there had arisen

Verse 14 (1.51.14)

निमित्तं महदुत्पन्नं यज्ञविघ्नकरं तदा । यज्ञस्यायतने तस्मिन्क्रियमाणे वचोऽब्रवीत् ॥

nimittaṃ mahadutpannaṃ yajñavighnakaraṃ tadā | yajñasyāyatane tasminkriyamāṇe vaco'bravīt

a great portent, one that threatened to obstruct the sacrifice. While the sacrificial ground was being laid out, a builder spoke these words,

Verse 15 (1.51.15)

स्थपतिर्बुद्धिसंपन्नो वास्तुविद्याविशारदः । इत्यब्रवीत्सूत्रधारः सूतः पौराणिकस्तदा ॥

sthapatirbuddhisaṃpanno vāstuvidyāviśāradaḥ | ityabravītsūtradhāraḥ sūtaḥ paurāṇikastadā

a master builder, intelligent and skilled in the science of building. The surveyor, a Suta versed in the Puranas, then said:

Verse 16 (1.51.16)

यस्मिन्देशे च काले च मापनेयं प्रवर्तिता । ब्राह्मणं कारणं कृत्वा नायं संस्थास्यते क्रतुः ॥

yasmindeśe ca kāle ca māpaneyaṃ pravartitā | brāhmaṇaṃ kāraṇaṃ kṛtvā nāyaṃ saṃsthāsyate kratuḥ

"Given the place and the time at which this measuring was begun, this sacrifice will not be brought to completion, and a brahmin will be the cause."

Verse 17 (1.51.17)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु राजासौ प्राग्दीक्षाकालमब्रवीत् । क्षत्तारं न हि मे कश्चिदज्ञातः प्रविशेदिति ॥

etacchrutvā tu rājāsau prāgdīkṣākālamabravīt | kṣattāraṃ na hi me kaścidajñātaḥ praviśediti

Hearing this, the king, before the time of his consecration, told his doorkeeper: "Let no one I do not know enter here."