Vaishampayana narrates Mahabharata to Janamejaya at the snake sacrifice

Sarama curses Janamejaya

King Janamejaya was engaged, together with his brothers– Shrutasena, Ugrasena and Bhimasena, in a long sacrifice. The celestial dog, the son of Sarama, who entered the sacrificial ground, was beaten up by Janamejaya’s brothers. Crying in pain, the dog went to his mother who asked him: “Why are you crying? Who beat you?” The dog answered: “Janamejaya’s brothers beat me up!” “You might have done something wrong to get this beating” observed the mother. When the son said “No! I didn’t do anything wrong! I didn’t even look at the sacrificial offerings! I didn’t even lick it!”, Sarama was highly distressed and arrived, with his son, to Janamejaya’s presence and cursed him:

“Just as you have caused pain to my son, who did not do anything to warrant that pain, you too, in near future, will experience a great fear when you least expected it!”

Listening to Sarama, Janamejaya was extremely sad. He completed his sacrifice and returned to his capital Hastinapur, and tried to get a priest who can cleanse him of his sins and release him of the curse.

Once while hunting within his own kingdom, he saw the hermitage where Rishi Shrutashrava was living with his son Somashrava. Janamejaya requested his son for himself as a priest. Shrutashrava responded:

“King Janamejaya! This son of mine was born out of the energy of my Tapas, when a snake drank up my semen. He is a great ascetic himself, capable of cleansing you of all evils, except of those you might have committed against Lord Shiva. But he is strictly following one vow – he grants anything asked by a Brahmin. If this condition is agreeable, you may take him as your priest.”

Accepting the condition, Janamejaya brought Somashrava to Hastinapur and instructed his brothers:

“I have chosen him as our priest. Whatever is asked by him should immediately be done without any debate!” Saying thus, he went off to Takshashila to establish his control over that region.

Uttanka wows to revenge Takshaka

Meanwhile, Rishi Dhaumya had three disciples – Upamanyu, Aruni and Veda. Veda served his teacher at his residence with a lot of hard work. Everyday, like a bullock engaged to drag a big burden, he did all sorts of hard work for his teacher, without complaining about hot or cold weather. After a long time, his teacher was satisfied, and transferred to him the great knowledge. Thus having a tough time at his teacher and knowing the sorrows of serving a tough master, Veda did not wish to trouble his disciples. Often he used to be engaged by Janamejaya or Paushya for officiating at the sacrifices. Once when he was setting out for such an assignment, he called one of his three disciples – Uttanka -  and instructed him to do, without neglect, whatever needs to be done at his household when he was away. Focussing on what his Teacher had said, Uttanka lived in his teacher’s house, performing all the required household duties.

Once while he was thus residing at his teacher’s hermitage, the women of the household approached him saying,

“the wife of your teacher is in her fertile period. Your teacher is not here. Do prevent it from going waste!”

Uttanka dismissed them saying:

“It is not appropriate for me to do as suggested by the women of the household. My teacher has instructed me to do nothing that is not appropriate.”

After sometime, his teacher returned and was very happy to hear all that had happened. He said:

“Son Uttanka! What good can I do for you? You have been religiously serving me. This has enhanced our mutual love. You are permitted to leave. Let everything succeed for you. Go!”

For this, Uttanka answered:

“Sir! There is a saying that anything taken or given unrighteous causes enmity between the two or one of them dies. Therefore, with your permission, I would like to give you a Guru Dakshina. What can I do that pleases you?”

To this, Veda asked Uttanka to stay back a little longer.

After sometime, once again, Uttanka asked his teacher:

“Please instruct me – what I can give you as a gift?”

The teacher replied:

“Uttanka! You have been repeatedly asking me about Guru Dakshina. If you want to give one, go to your teacher’s wife. Ask her what she wants as a Guru Dakshina and bring whatever she asks for.”

Listening to the words of his Teacher, Uttanka went to his Teacher’s wife and asked her thus:

“My teacher has sent me to come here and ask you what you want for Guru Dakshina. Please tell me what you want as Guru Dakshina.”

His teacher’s wife replied:

“Go to king Paushya and get me, after requesting him, his Kshatriya wife’s ear rings. Fourth day from now is a sacred day. I wish to wear those ear rings and serve the food to Brahmins on that day. Hurry! May you be successful!”

Uttanaka set out for this mission. On the way, he spotted a huge man riding a huge bull. That man asked Uttanka to eat the bull’s shit. When the latter refused, the man said: “Don’t think too much about this. Your teacher too ate this bull’s shit.” Hearing this, Uttanka said Okay and drank the bull’s urine and ate its shit. Afterwards, proceeded to Paushya’s palace. He approached king Paushya and requested him for his wife’s ear rings. Paushya, in turn, asked Uttanka to personally request his wife for her ear rings. When Uttanka entered the inner quarters, he did not see Paushya’s wife. He came back and asked the King:

“It is not good to lie to me like this. Even if I entered the inner quarters, I didn’t see the queen!”

“May be you are impure! Do recall,” said the king, “Those who are impure or unclean cannot see her. Due to her Pativratya, she becomes invisible to such people.” Uttanka thought for a while and said: “while coming in a hurry, I might have urinated standing!”. The king said: “it is not right to urinate standing.” Then Uttanka washed his feet, hands and the face; sat facing the east, and thrice sipped water without making sound till the water reached only up to the heart; and touched with water twice his face, eyes, ears and the nose; and entered the inner chambers. Then the queen was visible to him. Seeing him, she got up, bowed her head to him, welcomed him and asked him what she could do to please him. Uttanka said: “I request your ear rings as my Guru Dakshina!”. Seeing his good manners, the Paushya queen thought him to be deserving and hence difficult to refuse. She took out her ear rings and while giving, said to him: “These ear rings are asked by Naga Takshaka too. Hence be careful when you are carrying these.” Hearing this, Uttanka said: “Don’t you worry. Takshaka is not capable of defeating me!”

He returned to the king and said – “Paushya! I am pleased!” In return Paushya said “Brahmin! It is a rare opportunity to give to a deserved person! You are a guest of good qualities. Hence I want to do Shraddha. Please wait!” Uttanka said: “I am in a hurry. Hence I wish that the food gets ready real quick!” Agreeing for that, Paushya arranged quickly for food and offered that to him. Spotting a hair in that cold food, Uttanka declared to the king: “Since you have fed me impure food, you will become blind!” Paushya retorted: “Since you have blamed the pure food, you will be issueless!” Upon further examination realising that the food in fact was cold and a woman who had not tied up her hair had prepared it and hence there was a hair in the food, the king apologised: “Sir! I am sorry I fed you cold food contaminated with a strand of hair in it. Please let me not go blind!” Uttanka replied: “I cannot take back the curse. You will be blind and soon after that you will regain your sight! Undo your curse to me too!”  Paushya said: “I can’t take back the curse! My anger is still there! Don’t you know that Brahmin’s heart is soft like butter but his tongue is sharp as a blade. On the contrary, a Kshatriya’s words are soft, but his heart is very sharp. Since my heart is still sharp, I cannot take back the curse. You may go now!” Uttanka said: “You yourself have seen that the food served to me was impure. Therefore your curse that since not an impure food was rejected I should be issueless will not work!” Saying this, he took the ear rings and went away.

On the way he saw a nude beggar, who seemed to be appearing a while but disappearing at other times. Uttanka kept the ear rings on the ground and went down to the river for oblations. Meanwhile, the beggar picked up the ear rings and ran away. Uttanka chased him, but the beggar became the Naga Takshaka and entered a snake hole, through which he reached his home in Nagaloka. Uttanka followed him to Nagaloka and he offered prayers to the Nagas; but he did not get back his ear rings. Then he saw there two maids who were weaving a cloth over a handloom. The threads were of black and white. He also saw six young boys turning a wheel as well as a man on a horse back. When Uttanka offered prayers to them, the man on the horse told him: “I am pleased with your prayers. What can I do for you?” for which he said “Let the Nagas come under my control!”. The man asked him to blow into the anus of the horse, and as soon as Uttanka did so, flames filled with smoke emerged from all the orifices of the horse and was about to burn the Nagaloka down to ashes. Panicked and saddened with the hot flames of the fire, Takshaka came out of his residence with the ear rings and requested him to accept them back. Uttanka took the ear rings and wondered – “Today is the sacred day of my teacher’s wife. How will I be able to go in time to give her these ear rings?” The man on the horse offered him to ride the horse which will take him to his teacher’s residence in a minute. Thus Uttanka reached his teacher’s residence where the teacher’s wife had, after finishing the bath, was doing her hair. She was about to curse Uttanka who was late with the ear rings and Uttanak arrived and said “These are the ear rings you had asked for.” She responded: “Uttanka! You have reached here in time. Good that I didn’t curse you. Let your wishes come true. May you be successful!”

Afterwards Uttanka met his teacher and bowed down to him. Teacher Veda asked him what delayed his task. Uttanka replied: “Sir! Due to Takshaka who put obstacles to my task, I was forced to go down to Nagaloka. There I saw maidens weaving black and white threads. Who were they? I also saw there six boys turning the wheel of twelve spokes. Who were they? I saw a man riding a horse. Who was he? On my way, I saw a man riding a bull, who affectionately asked me to eat the bull’s excretion. I couldn’t make out what it was. Wish to hear from you.” The teacher answered: “the women were Dhata and Vidhata. The black and white threads were day and night. The 12 spokes of the wheel were the months of an year which was the wheel and the 6 boys were the 6 seasons. The horse was Agni and the man riding it was Parjanya. The bull that you saw on you way was Iravata, the king of elephants and its rider was Indra himself. The excretion you were asked to eat was Amrita. With the help of my friend Indra, you did not experience any harm in Nagaloka and safely returned with the ear rings. You can now go. Fortune will be with you.”

Seen off by the teacher. Uttanka who was angry with Takshaka and desirous of taking revenge on him, went to King Janamejaya of Hastinapur, who had just returned victorious from Takshashila, and told him in excellent manner thus in the presence of Ministers and vassals surrounding the king: “King! Instead of undertaking the most important and urgent task, you, like a boy, are wasting time by doing unnecessary things!” When Uttanka told him thus, king Janamejaya worshipped that Brahmin and asked him politely: “I am following the Kshatriya Dharma of protecting my citizens. Please explain to me the task you are talking about.” Uttanka explained: “King! There is one that you yourself have to do. You need to take revenge on the wicked Naga Takshaka who committed violence against your father. I think that the time has come now to take revenge against Takshaka for your father’s murder. The innocent father of yours became one with the five elements like a tree struck by lightning after the wicked souled Takshaka bit him! Mad with his strength and pride, he has committed the sinful act of killing your father. He even sent back a Kashyapa who was coming to save the life of a member of the Royal Sage family. This sinner Takshaka needs to burnt in the flaming fires of Snake Sacrifice that you will perform. Through this you will avenge the death of your father and will have the benefits of doing me a great favour. Once when I was trying to get the gift for my teacher, he obstructed me.”

Hearing these words of Uttanka, Janamejaya flared up with anger against Takshaka like the sacrificial flames when fed with the ghee. Uttanka’s words drowned him in sorrow. Overcome with grief, he asked his ministers about the way his father died.

Bhrigu curses Agni to consume everything

Rishi Bhrigu had a wife famously known as Puloma, and she was pregnant. Once, when Bhrigu had gone for a bath, Rakshasa Puloma visited his Ashrama and seeing the beautiful Puloma there was overpowered with desire and lost his reasoning. While Puloma offered him the fruits from the forest as a custom to welcome a guest, the Rakshasa was very happy with his decision to lift her away for himself. He bowed down to the sacrificial Fire burning in the Ashrama and addressed him thus: “Agni! You are the mouth of the Devas and a teller of truth. Answer my question: Truly whose wife is she? Previously she was decided to be my wife. But later on her father unjustly gave her away to Bhrigu. Then can she truly be Bhrigu’s wife? I will take her forcefully out of this Ashram. I burn in anger whenever I think that Bhrigu has taken the woman who once was mine.” Undecided if she was his or Bhrigu’s. the Rakshasa repeatedly asked Agni for a decision. “Agni! You live in every living being as a witness to the good and bad deeds. Why aren’t you now telling the truth? Bhrigu has taken away her who earlier was mine! Therefore tell me the truth: isn’t she truly mine? Only after you tell me if she is mine or Bhrigu’s, I will take her away with you as witness. So tell me the truth.” Agni was greatly disturbed after hearing this. He was as much afraid of telling an untruth as he was of Bhrigu’s curse.

Listening to what Agni had to say, the Rakshasa smiled and assumed the shape of a wild boar, lifted Puloma and travelled at the mind’s speed. Then the Bhrigu foetus, growing in Puloma, was furious and fell off from the mother. That foetus later on grew into a child named Chyavana – the one who is expelled. Seeing that foetus, lustrous like a sun, expelling from his mother’s womb, the Rakshasa let Puloma go and fell burnt to ashes. Then Puloma, holding on to son Chyavana, fell unconscious in grief. Pitamaha Brahma himself came down and consoled Puloma, his daughter-in-law. Her flowing tears formed into a river, and as she went to her Ashram, flowed along with her. Brahma named the river Vadhusara.

Bhrigu found his crying wife and son Chyavana in his Ashram. The angry Bhrigu asked his wife Puloma: “Who told that Rakshasa about you and how did he kidnap you?  Who told him that you are my wife? In my anger I feel like cursing that person. Today, no one will escape my curse!”

Puloma said: “Rakshasa came to know about you through Agni. Then the Rakshasa dragged me, who was crying like a sheep. Due to your son’s great lustre did I survive and got released from the Rakshasa who was burnt to ashes.” Listening to this from Puloma, Bhrigu cursed Agni in anger: “Be a glutton of everything!”

Cursed by Bhrigu, the angry Agni told him thus: “Rishi! How dare you do this to me! When asked to tell the truth, I told the truth following the Dharma! What is wrong in that? The person who has been a witness, if says otherwise when asked, will destroy his ancestors as well as his successors of seven generations! Even if the wise person does not give advise when asked will also reap the same ill. I am also capable of cursing you. But I respect Brahmins. Even if you already know these things, I am reminding you. Through my Yogic powers, I am manifesting myself in many forms – Agnihotra, Satra, Kriya and Makha. If Havis is poured into me following the methods prescribed in Vedas, the Gods and the Pitris get satisfied. All the Gods are Water and so are the Pitris. The Gods and the Pitris appear, respectively, on Full Moon and New Moon. The Gods are Pitris and the Pitris are Gods. Being the same, they are worshipped in Lunar fortnights. Both the Gods and the Pitris eat through me. Hence I am called their mouth. Through the offers made in my do the Gods and the Pitris eat on Full Moon and New Moon days, respectively. Being exclusively their mouth, how can I eat everything?” Thinking for a while, Agni withdrew himself from the Brahmins’ Agnihotras, Yagnas, Satras and Kriyas. Without Omkara, Vashatkara, Swadha and Swaha all acts stopped and the beings suffered. Anxious Rishis went to the Gods and said: “Devoid of all the acts, the Three Worlds are stupefied. Therefore soon do the needful.” Then the Rishis and the Gods together went to Brahma and asked him how can Agni be the consumer of all as cursed by Bhrigu, when he is designated to be the mouth of the Gods?” Brahma called for Agni and spoke to him thus: “Agni! You are the Maker and Destroyer of all the worlds. You run all the actions and the worlds. How can you be a fool like this? You, who resides in all beings of all the worlds is the most sacred. Your entire body will not consume everything. But your flaring flames burn everything the same way. Just like the way anything that comes into contact with the Sun gets purified, anything that is burnt by you will be purified. You are born out of your own power. From you power, let this curse become true. From you mouth, accept the sacrificial offerings for the Gods and for yourself.” Agni agreed to that and the Gods and Rishis were equally happy. The actions in the worlds returned to normalcy.

Ruru vows to kill every snake

Chyavana married Sukanya and begot a son named Pramati from her. Pramati got a son named Ruru from Ghritachi, an Apsara. At the same time, Menaka, another Apsara, was pregnant with a child of Gandharva king Vishwavasu. She delivered a lovey girl child and abandoned her on the river banks near the Ashrama of Rishi Sthulakeshi. Full of kindness, the Rishi took her to his Ashram, named her Pramadvara and brought her up. She grew there into a beautiful maiden. Ruru saw her near the Ashram and fell in love with her. He let his father know through his friends about his love for Pramadvara, who in turn requested the hand of Pramadvara for his son. The girl’s father promised to give her in marriage to Ruru in the forthcoming Purva Phalguni Nakshatra.

Few days to go for marriage, while playing with her friends, Pramadvara, prompted by Time, stepped on to a snake that could not be seen sleeping curled up. Further prompted by Time, the snake instantly bit her with its poison filled fangs and brought her down. Bitten by the snake, Pramadvara fell unconscious on the ground. Even in such a painful condition, she was looking more enchanting. Her father and the other Rishis saw her fallen unconscious, and lamented. Stricken with grief, Ruru went away from there.

While all the others were there around Pramadvara, Ruru entered a deep forest and cried out loud. Full of grief and thinking of Pramadvara he said: “Lying on the floor there, she is increasing my grief! What could be more grievous than this? If I have ever given, if I have ever done the Tapas and if I have ever served the elders, let the good accrued through these acts bring my dear love Pramadvara back to life!”

Hearing his thus crying, a messenger of Gods told him: “Ruru! Your words can never become true! Don’t you know that the humans who have exhausted their time on earth can never get their life back? This daughter of a Gandharva and an Apsara has crossed the line of her life. Therefore, son, do not drown yourself in the ocean of sorrow! But there is one thing that the Gods had previously ordained. If you like, you can get back your Pramadvara!” Ruru said: “Stalker of the skies! Tell me what is that solution the Gods have ordained? I will do that after hearing from you.” The Messenger of the Gods replied: “If you give this girl half of your life, your love Pramadvara will get up!” Ruru said: “I give her half of my life! Let her get up!” Immediately, Pramadvara woke up as if from a deep sleep. Thus, Ruru cut short his life to be with Pramadvara, even for a curtailed period.

After getting back his wife after much difficulty, Ruru took up an oath to destroy the snakes. He started killing the snakes, whenever and wherever he saw one, with whatever weapon he could get hold on to. Once while in a vast forest, Ruru found an old Dundubha snake sleeping. When he angrily lifted his thick stick to kill, the snake stopped him saying “Brahmin! I haven’t committed any crime against you! Why are you so angrily set to kill me?”

Ruru said: “Previously a snake had bit my wife, equal to my life. At that time, I took a terrible vow of killing every snake that I see. Hence I will kill you and release you from this life!”

The Dundubha said: “The snakes that bite humans are of a different type! It is not right to kill us Dundhubhas who do not bite your kind. Even though the snakes and Dundubhas are considered the same, they are different when they experience pleasure. And even though they are considered different, the snakes and Dundubhas are the same when they experience pain. You know Dharma! It is not right to kill Dundubhas!”

Listening to the snake, Rural did not kill that frightened Dundubha. He asked the snake: “Who are you and why did you get this form? And how long will you be in this form?”

The Dundubha replied: “Ruru! Previously I was a Rishi named Sahasrapada. Due to the curse of a Brahmin, I got this snake form. Khagama, the Brahmin who always spoke the Truth, was my close friend. Once, when he was engrossed in the worship of Agni, I frightened him with a blade of grass in the shape of a snake, due to which he fell unconscious. When he regained his consciousness, he angrily cursed me, without heart: “As you have frightened and thus angered me with a lifeless snake, you will become a harmless snake!” Knowing the powers of his Tapas, I pleaded him humbly: “I did this in jest to tease a friend! Therefore, please pardon me and take back this curse!” Seeing me very sad and anxious, he showed me sympathy and said: “What I said will not be untrue! It will somehow happen! Listen properly to what I say now and keep it in your hear! When you see Ruru, the son of the pure Pramati, will you be released of this curse!” Now that I have got my original human form, I understand that you are that Ruru, son of Pramati. I want to tell this to you, for your own good, since you have given me my human form. Nonviolence is the ultimate Dharma! Don’t take away the life of any living being. Therefore, they say that a Brahmin should never end or cause pain to another life. According to one scripture, a Brahmin should always be mild; knowing the Vedas and its branches, he should be capable of offering all living beings the protection from fear. Non-violence, telling the truth, forgiveness, and following the Vedas, these definitely are the greatest Dharma of a Brahmin. The Dharma that you are following now is not yours; it is the Dharma of a Kshatriya! Wielding a weapon, being cruel and protecting the citizens are all the acts of a Kshatriya. Listen to me how, in the past, king Janamejaya brought pain to the snakes. But a Brahmin, named Astika, who had the powers due to his Tapas and was proficient in Vedas along with its branches, saved the snakes from dying in that snake sacrifice!”

Ruru asked him: “Brahmin! How and why did Janamejaya killed the snakes? And why did Astika protected the snakes from the fire? Please tell me in detail. I want to listen to all of that.” Then the Dundubha, who had resumed the form of a Brahmin, disappeared from there saying – “You will hear everything about Astika when the Brahmins narrate this great story!” Ruru searched for that Brahmin everywhere in the forest, and after a long search, he was greatly tired and fell unconscious. When he woke up, he requested his father to tell him that story, and Pramati narrated, in full, Astika’s story to Ruru.”

Kadru and Vinata

Previously in the First Age of the Gods, Prajapati Daksha had two beautiful daughters – Kadru and Vinita. They were married to Rishi Kashyapa, equal to Prajapati himself, and highly satisfied with them, he gave them boons of love. Kadru asked for a thousand Nagas, equal in strength, as sons. Vinata asked for two sons, each exceeding in strength, effulgence and valour the sons of Kadru. Rishi Kashyapa granted them these sons and went away for his Tapas cautioning them to hold their pregnancies carefully.

After a very long time, Kadru delivered a thousand eggs and Vinata two eggs. Their jubilant servants kept each of the eggs in separate warm jars. Five hundred years went by. First Kadru’s children crawled out of the eggs. But Vinata’s two eggs did not break open at all. Feeling humiliated and desperate for a son, Vinata broke open one of her eggs and saw her son inside. We hear that her son, whose upper body alone was developed and the lower portion un-developed, angrily looked at her and cursed her thus: “Out of greed, you broke open me, who is unequally formed. Therefore you will be a slave. If you protect this other egg, patiently, without breaking that open, the son born out of that egg will release from slavery. If you want your other son not to be crippled like me, and want him to be unequal in strength, patients wait for him another five hundred years!” Cursing his mother thus, he ascended to the skies and he is Aruna, who is always seen at the dawn. He was opted by Sun as his charioteer.

The Churning of Milky Ocean

Meanwhile, the Gods had gathered on the peak of the mystical mountain Meru – invisible to the unrighteous – to discuss the way in which Amrita – the nectar – could be obtained. In that assembly, Lord Narayana addressed the Gods and Brahma thus: “Let the Gods and the Asuras together churn the Ocean of Milk. Amrita will be born while churning that great ocean! Along with that, you will also obtain all the medicines and precious jewels!” The Gods decided to use the greatest of the mountains – Mandara – which ranged 11,000 Yojanas above and 11,000 Yojanas below the earth, as the churning pole. When the Gods were unable to pluck, at the behest of Lord Narayana the mighty Naga Ananta pulled out the great Mount Mandara along with its forests and animals. The Gods and anti-Gods together approached the king of turtles Akupara and requested him to hold Mandara on his back. Reaching the banks of the Milky Ocean, they prayed to the Lord of the Oceans who agreed to bear the immense disturbances due to the churning in return for a portion of the nectar. Indra fixed Mandara on the turtles back with the help of an engine.

The Gods and the anti-Gods together churned the Milky Ocean using Mount Mandara as the churning pole and the Naga Vasuki as the rope. On one side, the anti-Gods held the great head of the Naga king and the other side the Gods stood holding his tail. Pulled back and forth by the Gods, there came forth from the mouth of Vasuki a great gas complete with flames of fire and smoke. That gas turned into clouds adorned with lightening, and showered rains on the tired Gods and anti-Gods cooling them off. The flowers from the huge trees in the valleys of Mandara fell down on them, quenching their tiredness. Thunder-like sound could be heard from the Mount Mandara. Thousands of aquatic species died and melted into the ocean due to the impact of the churning mountain. Smashing into each other, the trees from the constantly turning mountain, fell into the ocean, along with the birds nested in them. Due to their friction, fire broke out on the mountain, making it look like the one surrounded by the black clouds lit by the lightening. All the birds and animals including the lions and elephants got burnt in those fires. Then the Lord of the Gods Indra brought down heavy showers and extinguished the mountain fires. All the gums, secretions and medicinal qualities of those great trees got mixed and became one with the ocean waters. At the request of Brahma, Lord Narayana gave them further strength when the Gods and anti-Gods were weakened by the tiredness.

Then arose from the Ocean Soma – the moon God – of cool rays, equivalent to hundred sons in effulgence, but mild. Following him came up Shri Lakshmi – the Goddess of Wealth, draped in white. Then emerged Suradevi – the Goddess of Intoxication – and the brilliantly white divine horse – Uchchaishravas. Also arose the red jewel Kaustabha that adores the chest of Lord Narayana. Following the path of Aditya, Soma, Shri, Sura and the horse Uchchaishravas reached the Gods at the speed of the mind. Afterwards arose the God Dhanvantari, holding the white pot of Amrita. Seeing that marvel, the anti-Gods shouted loud “That’s ours! That’s ours!” Then Lord Narayana magically transformed himself to an enchanting damsel – Mohini – and mesmerized them. The slow-witted anti-Gods – the Daityas and Danavas – greatly attracted to her, foolishly handed over the pot of nectar to Mohini.

Then Lord Narayana, along with Nara, made the Gods drink the nectar. Amidst the Gods who were happily drinking the nectar was a Danava Rahu, disguised as a God. When he was about to swallow the nectar, the Gods - Sun and the Moon – indicated this to Narayana who immediately cut the decorated head of Rahu, through his discus. Cut by the discus, Rahu’s head, huge as a mountain peak, ascended to the skies and the headless body fell heavy on the Earth. From then onwards grew the eternal enmity between Rahu’s head and the Gods – Sun and the moon – and eclipses started to occur.

Afterwards, Lord Narayana, giving away his assumed Mohini form, frightened the anti-Gods, wielding several terrible weapons. Thus began the great war between the Gods and the anti-Gods on the banks of the Ocean of Salt, wherein both Nara and Narayana destroyed the anti-Gods. On every side, thousands of weapons – sharp javelins, maces, axes, hammers, swords and arrows were thrown. Seeing the great bow of Nara, Narayana recalled his discus – Sudarshana. Released by him, the discuss burning like the Fire a the End of Time, destroyed thousands of anti-Gods. Sometimes burning like a fire, Sudarshana reduced them to ashes. Sometimes, flying like an object, it used to hit them hard and make them fall down. Sometimes, it used to hover around in the sky and suck the Asuras’ blood like a vampire. Cut by the discus, thousands of Asuras omitted blood and fell dead. In that terrible war, the heads adorned with golden crowns constantly rolled down, severed by the discus. Soaked in blood, the scattered bodies of the dead Asuras looked like the mountains painted red.

Defeated by the Gods, the remaining anti-Gods entered the earth and the Salty Ocean. The victorious Gods, deposited the Mount Mandara in its original place, and with the joyous cries reached their abodes. In the heavens, the Gods carefully guarded the Nectar.

The Snakes are Cursed by Mother Kadru

Once, around this time, the two sisters, Kadru and Vinata, spotted in a distance, an approaching Uchchaishravas - the divine horse born during the churning of the milky ocean. Looking at the horse, Kadru asked her sister: “Vinata! Tell me quickly! What is the colour of that horse?” Vinata said: “This king of horses is white. What do you think? Sister! You tell me what is his colour. Let us bet on that!” Kadru replied: “This horse’s tail appears to be black to me! Whoever loses this bet becomes the slave of the other!” Thus they betted to become each other’s slave and returned to their respective homes saying “Let’s come back check the horse tomorrow!"

That night, Kadru ordered her thousand sons to immediately go and tie themselves around the tail of Uchchaishravas to make it look black, if they do not wish to see her become a slave. Seeing that they were not interested in doing that, she cursed her sons: “The Fire will burn you all into ashes in a sacrifice organized by the Royal Sage Janamejaya!” Pitamaha Brahma himself heard this extremely cruel curse uttered by Kadru who seemed to have been possessed by the Providence. But to protect the human kind from the ever growing snake species, he, together with the Gods, seconded that curse. Considering the profound poisons that the snakes carry and their instinctive nature to bite the others, He granted the knowledge of nullifying the snake poison to one of the descendants of Rishi Kashyapa.

At the end of the night, when the sun was rising at dawn, the two sisters – Kadru and Vinata – set out to check out the colour of Uchchaishravas. Speedily crossing the vast sea over the sky, the sisters descended near the divine horse. Noticing that the horse’s tail had black hairs entangled to it, Vinata was sad as she had to become the slave to her sister.

Valakhilyas Perform a Sacrifice for the Birth of Garuda

When Rishi Kashyapa undertook a sacrifice to beget children, the Gods and the Gandharvas extended help to him. Kashyapa had assigned the task of bringing the sacrificial herbs to Indra, the Valakhilya Munis, and the other Gods. Indra tirelessly brought, as per his strength, a mountain heap of the herbs. On his way back, he saw a whole lot of thumb-sized Valakhilya Munis, together carrying a lone Palasha twig. Weakened by their fasting, those ascetics were greatly troubled as they collapsed when they stumbled into a shallow hole created by the hooves of cows. Seeing all this, Indra intoxicated with pride, speedily overtook them laughing and thus insulted them. Greatly angered and pained by this, the ascetics initiated a sacrifice to cause fear in Indra. They offered Havis into a ritually lit fire saying: “Let there be another Lord of the Gods, whose valour is what he wishes, who can go as he wishes, and who brings fear to the Indra. Out of the power of our asceticism, let there be a birth of a being who is thousand times more powerful than this Indra!”

Indra came to know of this, and greatly frightened, he surrendered himself to Rishi Kashyapa. When Kashyapa approached them, on behalf of Indra, the Valakhilyas said that it won’t happen otherwise. Kashyapa said: “Brahma has appointed this Indra as the Indra of the three worlds. Wealthy of Tapas, you are trying for another Indra. It is not right to go against the word of Brahma. I also do not want to make your words go in vain. Let the other strong one be the Indra of birds. Show mercy on the repentant Indra!” The Valakhilyas bowed down to Kashyapa and said “All this that we are doing is for you to get a son that you want and also to create another Indra. Now take this forward as you wish!” Kashyapa turned to Indra and said: “The one who is going to be born as my son due to the Tapas of the Valakhilyas will be the Indra of birds. He will be your friend as well as a helper. But from now onwards do not humiliate any Brahmin. Do not insult, out of pride, any Brahmin whose anger can be a blow and whose words can be a poison. Listening to this, Indra returned to his abode relieved.

The Birth of Garuda

As the time approached Garuda came out, breaking open the egg, without anyone’s help. Illumined as a ball of fire, and with terrible flames, he instantly grew into a giant bird and took to the skies. Everyone who saw him thought that he was the Fire God who was expanding himself to cover the skies. When they prayed to Agni, he assured them that the bright light that they see in the sky is not him, but Garuda, who is glowing from his own effulgence. Hearing this, all the Gods, together with the Rishis, prayed to Garuda from a distance, upon which Garuda reduced his size and effulgence.

Afterwards, Garuda, who was capable to going wherever he wanted, came to the other shore of the ocean where his mother was sadly serving her sister as a slave. Kadru ordered her sister, who was standing with folded hands, in her son’s presence: “Vinata! Take me to the quietness of the bottom of the ocean, the beautiful abode of the Nagas!” Then, Vinata took Kadru and Garuda the snakes on their backs flew. When Garuda took off in the direction of the sun, all the snakes on his back were struck unconscious by Sun’s heat. Helpless Kadru prayed to Indra, who showered cool rain on the snakes. Garuda descended on a beautiful island beyond the seas and skies. The happy Nagas roamed about in that wondrous island forest and soon asked Garuda to take them elsewhere which was more beautiful than that island. Garuda thought for a while and asked his mother: “Mother! Why should I do all that these snakes ask me to do?” Vinata replied: “Son! Due to the cheating of these snakes, I lost a bet and became a slave to the second wife of my husband.” Saddened by the reason given by his mother, Garuda approached the snakes: “Snakes! Tell me by bringing what or by doing what can we get freedom from this slavery?” The snakes said: “Stalker of skies! Use your strength to get us Amrita – the nectar! You will then be liberated from slavery!”

Stealing of Amrita

Garuda told Vinata: “Mother! I am going to get Amrita. But now I want to eat something. Tell me what I can eat!” Vinata said: “Under the belly of the ocean is the abode of the Nishadas. Eat them and bring Amrita! However, do not ever kill the Brahmins. Among all the beings, they are never to be slain. They are like Fire. An angry Brahmin is similar to Fire, Sun, poison or a sharp sword. A Brahmin occupies the highest position among all living beings. Like that of a father or a teacher, his position is the greatest.”

Garuda asked: “Mother! How can one recognize a Brahmin? What are the signs of his auspiciousness?”

Vinata replied: “Son! Understand him to be a Brahmin when going down the throat it pricks you as a fishing rod or burns you like a live coal!”

Even if she knew her son’s unmatched strengths, Vinata blessed him with these words: “Let the Marutts protect your wings. Let the moon protect your back. Let Agni protect your head and Sun your everything! I will be peacefully waiting for you here. Let your mission be successful!”

Hearing his mother’s words, Garuda spread his wings and ascended to the skies. Troubled by hunger, that strong being fell on the Nishadas like the Destroyer at the end of Time. He raised a huge storm in the skies, sucked the entire waters of the sea, and shook all the trees on the neighbouring mountains. He opened his mouth wide and sucked the Nishadas into his mouth. Like the frightened birds fly into the sky, they flew towards his open mouth. Like the birds pushed by a big storm, they were pushed into Garuda’s mouth. Garuda closed his mouth and swallowed thousands of Nishadas who were drawn into his mouth.

A Brahmin, with his wife, had entered his mouth and was burning his throat like a hot coal. Addressing him, Garuda said: “Brahmin! I will open the mouth for you. Please hurriedly come out! I won’t kill a Brahmin, even if he is continuously engaged in sinful acts.”

The Brahmin said: “let my wife Nishadi too come out with me!” Garuda agreed for that and the Brahmin with his Nishadi wife came out, expressed his gratitude to Garuda and went away.

Within the seconds after the Brahmin came out of his mouth, Garuda spread his wings and took to the skies again. On his way, he saw his father Kashyapa. Garuda responded to his father’s questions: “Sent by the snakes, I am on my way to bring Amrita. Bringing that, today I will also bring an end to my mother’s slavery. Mother asked me to eat the Nishadas. I swallowed thousands of them. Even then my hunger is not fully satiated. Father! You show me the food, after eating which I will be capable of bringing Amrita!”

Kashyapa said: “In the past, there was a Rishi called Vibhavasu, of an angry nature. He had a greatly ascetic younger brother named Supratik. Supratik always used to ask his brother his share of the ancestral wealth. Vibhavasu told him: “Many people, out of stupidity, want a division in wealth. But after the division, they neglect each other. Seeing that they are separated, the others who are greedy for their wealth, will create a greater divide between the brothers. This way, the divided brothers quickly reach destruction. Therefore, those who are tied to the teachings do not agree for the division of wealth between those who are affectionate to each other. But it has become difficult to control you who have bent upon dividing our wealth. Therefore you will turn into an elephant!” Hearing this, Supratik also cursed Vibhavasu: “You will also become a turtle, living in waters!” Thus, desirous of wealth, both the brothers assumed the forms of an elephant and a turtle. Despite being born in a lower species due to their weaknesses of anger, both of them have been continuing their hatred for each other. Look at the lake! These two giants are continuing their past enmity! The elephant is approaching the lake, and hearing that sound, the turtle is rising up, creating a havoc in the lake. That elephant is six Yojanas tall and is double of that in width. The turtle is three Yojanas tall and is double of that in width. Eat these two, who are engaged in a fight to kill each other and continue with your task!”

Listening to his father, Garuda speedily came down and picked the elephant with one talon and the turtle with the other, and immediately flew up into the skies. He was flying over Alamba Tirtha trying to find a tree to perch on eat his meal. But most of the divine trees there were trembling in fear of bearing his weight. However, a nearby Rohinipapada tree with thousand branches invited him to descend on one of its branches. When Garuda descended on its branch, that branch too gave away. He saw the Valakhilya Munis hanging over that branch, and fearing that he will be the cause of their death, immediately he picked up that broken branch in his beak and flew up again shaking the entire mountain.

Flying like this holding the elephant, the turtle and the Valakhilyas, he did not find any place where he could descend. Then he flew to Mount Gandhamadana and saw his father engaged in Tapas. He said: “Son! Don’t do anything that would result in painful experience in the future! If these Valakhilyas, who live on Sun’s rays, will burn you to ashes if angered.” Then on behalf of his son, he requested those Valakhilyas: “Garuda is born for the good of the worlds. He has undertaken a great mission. You must give your approval.” Listening to Kashyapa, the Munis left that branch and went to the sacred Himalayas.

After they had gone, Garuda spoke to his father, with the tree branch in his beaks: “Father! Where do I drop this huge branch? Please show me a place where there are no Brahmins!” Then Kashyapa showed him a place devoid of Brahmins, which was not possible for the humans even to think of.  Seeing that mountain slope in his mind itself, the giant Garuda flew up holding on to the elephant, turtle and the branch. The branch was so huge that even the hides of hundred giant animals could not wrap it completely. In a short while Garuda traversed hundred Yojanas and reached the mountain his father had told him about. As soon as he reached there, he dropped the branch, the falling of which caused a storm. The giant trees swayed and there was a shower of flowers. The precious stones adorning the mountain peak loosened and rolled down. Descending on that mountain peak, the king of birds, Garuda ate the elephant and the turtle.

While he was flying upwards from that mountain peak at the speed of mind, various omens appeared that suggested fear and pain to the Gods. Indra’s favourite Vajra was in flames due to fear. Even in the day time, asteroids lighted by fire and smoke fell down. The weapons of Vasus, Sadhyas, Marutts and the other divine groups started to fight with each other. This kind of omens were not seen anytime before – even during the war of the Gods and the anti-Gods. There was a storm of thunders and asteroids. The sky thundered, even without clouds. The garlands the Gods were wearing faded; their glow dimmed. Clouds gathered and rained blood; the dust raised by the storms covered the Gods’ diadems. Seeing these terrible omens, the frightened Indra asked Brihaspati: “Master! Why are these terrible omens are seen now? I don’t see any enemy who will defeat us in a battle!”

Brihaspati said: “Indra! Due to your own mistake and the Tapas of the Valakhilyas, a great being is born as a son of Kashyapa and his wife Vinata. Capable to taking any form, that strong bird is coming here to steal Amrita! That greatest among the strong is capable of taking away the Amrita. Every impossible is possible for him.” Listening to his preceptor, Indra told to the Gods guarding Amrita: “a greatly courageous and strong bird has decided to steal Amrita. I am giving you an early warning so that he should not be allowed to forcibly take Amrita. Brihaspati says that there is no one match him in strength!” Surprised by this, the Gods took up their weapons and stood guard, along with Indra, around Amrita. They wore the beautiful valuable armours made of gold and decked with jewels. Numbering thousands, they wielded terrible sharpened weapons. Each one, to suit their body, had held the fire and smoke spitting weapons – discus, axes, swords, hammers, tridents, bows and arrow, javelins, and maces. Adorned with divine ornaments and glowing in the light of their weapons, the fearless army of Gods kept its vigil on the Amrita. With hundreds and thousands of such Gods wielding shining weapons, the battleground resembled an oven lighted by the sun rays in the sky.

When all the Gods were thus ready for a fight, Garuda reached there. Seeing that being of immeasurable strength, the frightened Gods started attacking each other with their weapons. Even the greatly valorous Bhauvana fought only for a while and soon succumbed to the wings, talons and the beak of the bird Garuda. He raised a great storm of dust with his vast wings and tortured the Gods. Stormed by the dust, the Gods fell unconscious. Those guarding the Amrita could not see anything. Thus Garuda, with his wings, talons and beak, mashed the Gods, protectors of the Three Worlds.

Then Indra ordered Vayu – the Wind God – to blow away the dust storm. Once the dust storm was cleared by the strong Wind, the Gods, being able to see Garuda, attacked him. Being thus attacked by all the Gods, Garuda roared like a massive thundering cloud, frightening all the living beings. He rode on his wings and took off to the skies and hovered above the Gods. Indra and all the other Gods threw at him a host of weapons – maces, discus, hammers, javelins, swords and sharp arrows. The king of birds did not feel tired despite the blow of these weapons. He attacked them with his wings and the chest, and the Gods were thrown away in all directions. Those who received his blows ran away defeated. Those who were wounded by his beak and talons were bleeding profusely. Repeatedly turning back to see him, the Sadhyas and the Gandharvas ran towards the east, the Vasus and the Rudras to the south, Adityas to the west and the Ashwins to the north.

Thus making the Gods inactive, Garuda proceeded further towards Amrita, which was surrounded by tall flames of fire. The great Garuda then worn eighty-one mouths, drank so many rivers at once, and poured them over and extinguished the fire wall. Immediately he took the micro-form, and was ready to enter the place where Amrita was kept. Taking the golden body illumined like the sun rays, he rushed inside like a river joining the ocean. He saw a constantly rotating terrible discus with sharp teeth like the sun rays, installed by the Gods to cut anyone approaching to steal Amrita. Spotting a passage between the teeth, he made himself small and immediately entered through it. Beyond the discus, he saw two great snakes, constantly watching with open eyes, with their fangs flashing like lightning. Anything that comes under any of these snakes’ vision would instant burn to ashes. Then Garuda blinded them with a dust storm, attached them from all sides mangling them into a ball and ran towards the pot of Amrita. He picked up the pot, destroyed the discuss, and immediately took off to the skies tirelessly, without even taking a sip of Amrita himself.

Lord Narayana was pleased with his valour, courage and most of all, his self-control. That un-decaying Lord told him: “Bird! I will give you a boon!” Garuda replied: “Grant me a place above you!”

He asked him further: “Let me be free from oldage and death even without drinking this Amrita!” Accepting these two boons from Narayana, he said to the Lord: “I too will give you a boon. Ask!” Narayana chose him as his vehicle and took him on his flag saying “This way you will be above me too!”

Indra threw his Vajra on Garuda who was forcibly taking the Amrita. Garuda laughingly addressed the angry Indra: “I respect the Rishi whose bones were used for making this Vajra, I respect the Vajra itself and you who wield it. Therefore I will shed one of my feathers, whose end even you will not be able to see. I am not pained by the blow of your Vajra at all!” Looking at that beautiful feather from his wings, all being said out of joy: “Let him be known as Suparna – the one with beautiful feathers!” Observing this wonder, Indra realized that Garuda is a great being and told him thus: “I would like to learn about your ultimate strengths and I like to have your eternal friendship!” Garuda said: “Purandara! Let us be friends as you wish. Understand that my strength is the greatest and unbearable. Praising one’s own self and talking about one’s own strength is not agreeable to good people. Since we are now friends and since you have asked me, I will tell you about my strength even though it is not good to do so. I can carry you and this earth along with the mountains, oceans and forests on one single feather of my wings. I can tirelessly lift the all the Lokas, together with the moving and stationary beings therein. Know this as my great strength.”

Indra said: “Please accept my eternal and ultimate friendship. If this Amrita is not going to be useful for you, return it to me. Whoever you give this to, they will constantly be fighting with us.” Garuda said: “I am carrying this Amrita for achieving one objective. I won’t let anyone drink this. Indra! Once I keep this down, you yourself steal this back!” Indra said: “I am very satisfied with your words. Take a boon that you like from me!” Thinking of Kadru’s sons, and the slavery of his mother due to their cheating, Garuda replied: “Even though I am capable of anything, I am seeking this boon from you since you have asked me. Let the snakes be my food!” Indra said “Let it be that way! I will take Amrita once you keep it down!” and went away.

Immediately Garuda returned to his mother and happily announced to all the snakes: “Look here! I have brought the Amrita! I am keeping this on this Kusha grass. Have an auspicious bath and drink this! I have done what you had asked me to. As you had given me the word, my mother ceases to be a slave from this very day!” “Let it be so!” said the snakes and went for the bath. In the meantime, Indra took away the Amrita back to the heavens. After finishing the bath, meditation and auspicious acts, the snakes desiring to drink Amrita returned. Seeing the Kusha grass on which it was kept empty, they realized that my deceit it has been taken back. Then they started licking the Kusha grass on which Amrita was kept, due to which their tongues were slit. Because Amrita was kept on them, the Kusha or Darbha grass came to be considered sacred.

Suparna was very happy and stayed in the forests with his mother. Eating the snakes and performing great adventures he pleased all the birds and his mother. The man who listens to this story full of praise of Garuda or recites this story in the presence of pious men will undoubtedly accrue Punya and will join the heavens.

Shesha

After hearing the curse, one of the principal Nagas – Shesha – abandoned his mother Kadru and was engaged in a terrible Tapas living only on air. Brahma saw the harshness of his Tapas – his hair was tied into a Jata, he was wearing torn clothes and his skin and flesh had dried up. He asked Shesha: “What are you doing? Do good to the worlds! The worlds are burning due to severity of your penance. Tell me what desire you have in your heart!”

Shesha said: “Lord! My brothers are all dull-witted. I don’t want to stay with them. Please make that happen! They are always jealous and envious of each other. Hence I have undertaken this Tapas. I don’t wish to even see them. They are always troubling Vinata and her son, our brother Garuda. They have been envious of his strength he has got due to our father’s boon. I am doing this Tapas because I want to be released from this body. For any reason, I don’t want to live with them”

Brahma said: “Shesha! I know everything about your brothers. They are greatly afraid of your mother’s curse. But have already provided a solution for this. You don’t have to worry about your brothers. Ask for any boon that you wish to ask. Being extremely pleased with you, I will grant that. I observe that your mind is already engaged in Dharma. Let it stay there fixed for ever!”

Shesha said: “Pitamaha! Let my mind find joy in Ishvara, Dharma and Tapas. This is the boon I want.”

Brahma said: “Shesha! I am pleased with your self control and mild nature. For the welfare of all beings let you do a task ordained by me. Hold on your head stationary this earth which is shaking with the weight of the mountains, valleys, oceans, and cities.”

Shesha held the Earth on his head, which only Brahma or Indra could hold. Pleased with him, Brahma ordained Garuda as his friend.

Nagas Find a Solution to Overcome the Curse

Hearing the mother’s curse from close quarters, the great Naga Vasuki started thinking on how not to let it happen as has been cursed. He consulted with his righteous brother Elapatra and all the other brothers. Vasuki said: “Brothers! You all are aware of the curse on us. We should try to do something to escape from this curse. We understand that there is a solution for every type of curse. But it is said that there is no escape from the mother’s curse. May be our destruction is nearing soon. That’s why even our grandfather Brahma did not prevent her from cursing us. Therefore, without wasting much time, we should consult on the welfare of all the Nagas. We should do something so that the cause of our destruction – Janamejaya’s sacrifice – itself is not going to happen!”

Many of Kadru’s children assembled there offered their separate suggestions. One of the Nagas said: “Let’s go in the disguise of Brahmins and beg him not to undertake this sacrifice!” Others suggested: “We will all become his ministers, giving him good advice. He would ask our advice on everything he wants to do. We will take that opportunity and advice him against the sacrifice. Or one of us will bite to death Janamejaya’s priest who knows the rituals related to the sacrifice.” Then one of the righteous Nagas who was sitting in the council said: “These words of yours are of low intelligence. Killing a Brahmin is the greatest sin. To be constantly engaged in Dharma is the source of peace; Adharma destroys everything.”

Listening to these and many other suggestions made by his fellow brothers, Elapatra addressed them thus: “It is not possible for us to prevent this sacrifice ordained by the Providence or king Janamejaya who will be the cause of our great fear. Nothing will come to the rescue of a man troubled by Fate, unless he surrenders himself to it. This fear of ours is also fated. Surrendering us to the divine is the only escape. Listen to me! When the curse was uttered, I got frightened and climbed on to our mother’s lap. And I heard Indra saying “This is very cruel! Very cruel!” and he asked Brahma: “Which other mother, other than Kadru herself, could give birth to such lovely children and curse them like this in your presence? I heard you too saying so it will be. I want to know the reasons for you not preventing it.” For that Brahma replied: “Snakes with sharp and highly potent poisons have become many in number. I did not prevent her for the sake of the other living beings in these worlds. Only the snakes who have the nature of constantly biting others even for small reasons, or are too poisonous or are evildoers will die in this sacrifice. Not the righteous snakes. Listen to me the way the snakes will find respite from this great fear, when the time arrives. A great Rishi named Jaratkaru will be born in the famous Yayavara family. His son Astika will stop that sacrifice and save the righteous Nagas. He will get this son in his wife bearing the same name as his!” Vasuki! I see your sister named Jaratkaru! Give your sister in marriage to that Rishi Jaratkaru who is searching for a wife! This will release us from that frightful destruction!”

Vasuki then ordered all the other Nagas to search for Rishi Jaratkaru. “When Jaratkaru asks for a wife, immediately come and inform me. Our good depends entirely on this!”

A long time passed. But that Rishi Jaratkaru did not desire a wife. Jara means reduce and Karu means huge. Since he reduced his bulky body through severe austerities, he is called Jaratkaru. He was so deeply engaged in studies and Tapas that there was not a slight desire for a wife in his mind for a long long time.

Parikshit is cursed

After a really long time, when the time arrived at the beginning of Kaliyuga, a king famous as Parikshit was born in the Kaurava family. Like his grandfather Arjuna, Parikshit was great armed, best among the worlds’ bowmen, and passionate about hunting. He used to go hunting the deer, boars, bison, and several other wild animals. Once he hit a deer with his arrow and holding the bow on this shoulders, he entered a thick forest following that deer. Like Lord Rudra had searched in the past for the Yajnamriga in the heavens, Parikshit searched for the deer in that forest. Before that, no animal hit by him had gone alive. Now that lost deer seemed to herald the death of the king.

Walking a long distance searching for the deer, the king, who was tired and thirsty, saw a Muni who used to live drinking the froth around the calf’s mouth while the calf drank the milk from the cow. Tired, thirsty and hungry, the king speedily approached him, lifted high his bow, and asked him: “Hey Brahmin! I am Abhimanyu’s son, king Parikshit. I have lost a deer hit by my arrow. Have you seen in which direction it went?” That Muni who was observing the vow of silence at that time did not answer him at all. Angered by this, the king picked up a dead snake from the end of his bow and put it around the Muni’s neck. Even then he did not say anything – good or bad. Seeing that Muni in that condition, the king stopped being angry and returned to his city depressed.

That Muni – Shamik – had an young son named Shringi who was a great Tapasvi but quick-tempered. From time to time, he used to serve Lord Brahma. He took leave from Brahma and visited his home. To Shringi who had a terrible anger like a poison, one of his friends named Krisha, a son of another Rishi, told him laughingly in jest: “Shringi! Leave that pride of yours! You might be a great Tapasvi. But your father was wearing a dead snake on his shoulders! You can’t now mix with us Rishis! Seeing your father carry a dead body, we wondered where your manhood has gone and to what effect are your proud talk!” Hearing further from Krisha about who and how he did this to his father, Shringi stood stupefied, his eyes turned red, and he burned with anger. Moved by the speed and strength of his anger, he touched the water and cursed the king: “Within the next seven nights, Takshaka, the king of snakes, prompted by the power of my words, will carry to Yama’s abode that Pariskhit, the black dot among the kings, the spoiler of Kuru’s fame, and the sinner who has humiliated my old and weak father by putting a dead snake on his shoulders!”

When Shamik heard about this curse, he admonished his son for his short temper: “Son! I don’t like what you have done! This is not right for us Tapasvis who follow Dharma. We live within the boundaries of his realm and he justly protects us. We shouldn’t have thought ill of him. People like us should always pardon the current king. If we destroy Dharma, Dharma itself will destroy us! If the king was not protecting us, we would have faced great difficulties. It would not have been possible for us to live the life of Dharma like this. According to scriptures, one part of whatever Punya we achieve belongs also to the king who protects us. Especially Parikshit, like his grandfather, has been protecting us, just like the way a king has to protect his people. It is definite that the king who was tired, thirsty and hungry did not understand that I had kept the vow of silence that day! Therefore what you have done in haste and anger is not right! King Parikshit does not definitely deserve to be cursed by us like this!”

Shringi said: “Father! What I did might have been bad and in haste. Whether good or bad, whatever I said will not be untrue! I tell you this will not be false! I will never utter falsehood even in jest!”

The father responded: “Son! I agree that you cause terrible effects by speaking the truth. You never said anything untrue before and nothing you said will be false. However mature is the son, the father should always advise him to be better. But you are still a boy. You are affected by your Tapas. As the effulgence increases, so does the anger. You are my son and understanding that you are still a boy and you do things in haste, I feel like giving you some advice. Use forest products as your food and control yourself. Abandon your anger and don’t abandon the Dharma. Anger destroys the hard-earned Dharma of the Yatis. Bereft of the Dharma, they will not know their path’s destination. Self control and forgiving are the means of success to the Yatis. Those who forgive will receive good both in this life and beyond. Therefore you should constantly be forgiving and controlling your desires. By forgiving, you will attain the worlds that are difficult even for those who know Brahman. Son! Since I follow the path of peace, I will do what I can. I will send a message to the king: “Seeing the way you have humiliated me, you are cursed by my son who is still a boy and who is not mature!””

Shamik sent that message through one of his well-behaved disciples Gauramukha. Hearing to that terrible message, the sage king greatly repented for what he had done. He was more unhappy knowing that the Muni was under the vow of silence on that day. He was burning in sorrow for the sympathy Shamik had for him despite the terrible thing that he did for him. He was not as much worried about his imminent death as he was sad for what he did to the Muni. He bid farewell to Gauramukha saying “Let the mercy of that Muni be my blessing!”

After Gauramukha went, the king was very anxious and consulted his ministers. He decided to build a palace on top of a pillar, surrounded by doctors, medicines, Brahmins and masters of spells. Protected on every side like this, he used to conduct his royal duties from that palace.

When it was the seventh day, a Brahmin of the Kashyapa family, was coming to cure the king of the snake bite. He had thought that he will attain both Dharma and wealth by treating the king after the snake bite. The snake king Takshaka, disguised as a Brahmin, approached him and asked: “Where are you going in such a hurry? What do you plan to do there?” The Kashyapa replied: “The snake king Takshaka is going to bite the Kuru King Parikshit. I am hurriedly going there to save that king from the snake bite.”

Takshaka said: “Brahmin! I am Takshaka, who is going to kill the king. Go back! You cannot treat those whom I bite!”

Kashyapa said: “Naga! By the strength of my learning, I firmly believe that I can treat the king you are going to bite!”

Takshaka said: “Kashyapa! If you can treat anyone who is bitten by me, make this tree that I bite come alive! I am going to burn that tree into ashes. Then you show the strength of your spell!”

Getting that confirmation that he is going to treat the tree, Takshaka bit that Banyan tree. Poisoned by his bite, the tree immediately went in flames. Then Kashyapa took a handful of the ashes of the tree burnt by the strong poison of Takshaka and said: “Takshaka! Look! I am going to make this tree alive now!” First he made a sprout, gave two leaves, created branches with leaves and restored into its earlier form. Seeing that tree return to life again, Takshaka was greatly impressed and said: “What you just did was a great wonder! You could destroy any poison, including mine. But it is doubtful that you can save the king whose life is shortened by a Rishi’s curse! How much wealth are you expecting there? I will give you all the wealth that you expect from the king, however difficult it is.”

Through his inner vision, Kashyapa realized that Parikshit in the line of the Kurus was meant to be short-lived and said: “I am going there mainly for the money. I will accept if you give me that much amount and return.” He received whatever wealth he wanted from Takshaka and returned.

On his way to Hastinapur, Takshaka decided to use his mystical powers to bite the king, particularly since he heard that the king had arranged a complete protection around him. He sent some snakes in the guise of ascetics to take the Kusha grass, fruits and water. The king accepted them all with thanks and after those ascetics went, asked his ministers and friends to share with him the tasty fruits that the ascetics had brought. When he was sharing the fruits, he saw in the fruit he held to eat, a tiny coppered coloured worm with black eyes. He held that worm in his hand and said addressing his ministers and friends: “The sun is setting. I am no more afraid of the poison. Let this worm transform itself into Takshaka and bite me and make true the words of that Muni! Let this prevent the truth from becoming untrue!”

Prompted by Time, his minsters admired him for these words. Saying thus, the king laughed loud and kept that worm on his neck. Immediately he lost his life and fell unconscious. While the king was laughing, Takshaka, coming out of the fruit, had entangled him. The ministers saw Takshaka wrapping himself around the king, hissing loud, and instantly going out cutting through the sky like a red line of lightening. As soon as the king fell down, the palace caught fire and the frightful ministers and others left the king fallen, and fled in all directions.

Janamejaya was anointed the king. Although a mere boy, Janamejaya ruled the kingdom, like his great grandfathers, according to Dharma, with the advice of his priests and ministers. Noticing that their king can protect the kingdom from his enemies, his ministers requested the Kashi princess Vapushtama as his bride. After examining him according to Dharma, the king of Kashi gave away his daughter in marriage to Janamejaya. Janamejaya was happy marrying her; he had not given himself to anyone else before that. Like the way Pururava of the past had enjoyed the company of Urvashi, he enjoyed with his wife in parks filled with flowering trees. The beautiful Vapushtama too was happy loving the equally handsome husband.

Astika is born to Jaratkaru

Around the same time, the great Tapasvi Jaratkaru was wandering on earth, staying wherever he was in the night. Following a regimen that was difficult even for the great Tapasvis, he travelled to all the sacred sites. Fasting day after day, living only on air, he greatly reduced his body. One day he saw his Pitris hanging upside down in a well. They were holding on to a single root, that was weakened by the rat bites. He approached those poor starving beings, too weak to climb up, and asked: “Who are you hanging like that to a thin root that is being eaten away by a rat? There is not doubt that this thread of a root will soon be snapped by the rat, and you will all fall into this deep well. I feel very sad to see you hanging like this up side down. Tell me what I can do to please you? Tell me quickly if I can free you of this danger through a third, a quarter or half of the power of my Tapas. Or tell me if I have to use all of my power of Tapas to relieve you. I am ready even for that!”

The Pitris said: “Ascetic! You want to save us; but you cannot do so with the power of your austerities. We too have the great powers accrued through Tapas. But we are falling into this hell due to lack of progeny. Hanging here like this, we are loosing the light of our knowledge. Therefore we are not able to recognize you although you are famous in the three worlds. You are worthy of our worship as you are sharing our fear and pain. Listen to who we are and why we are suffering like this. We are Yayavara Rishis. We are expelled from the higher worlds due to lack of progeny. All the Punya we have accrued through Tapas has not yet been exhausted. Hence we are able to hang on to this thin root. The only surviving kin of us, the famous Jaratkaru, is the only one hope for the unfortunate us! We are in this condition because of his greed for Tapas! He doesn’t have a wife, a child or a relative! Because of this, we are hanging like this, wretched and fast loosing our consciousness. If you see him, please give him this message from us: “Your Pitris are hanging up side down on a weak thread. Good man! Have a wife and children! You are the only blood line for them!” Brahmin! The thread we are holding on to is Jaratkaru - the lonely line in our family. The rat eating this thread line i.e., him, is Time himself. Son! The truthful say that the great Tapas or the great sacrifice or a great deed is not equal to having a child. If you see Jaratkaru, tell him what you saw here.”

Listening to them, Jaratkaru was overcome by grief, and with tearful eyes, he told his ancestors: “I am that criminal, your son Jaratkaru! I am a sinner and punish me!”

The Pitris said: “It is really fortunate that you came roaming to this place! Why haven’t you taken a wife so far?”

Jaratkaru said: “Holding my semen, I want to go to heavens in this very same body! But seeing you hanging there like bats, there has been a change of heart! I will do what is good for you. There is no doubt about it. I will accept her as my wife if she has the same name as mine, if someone comes and offers her as alms to me on their own, and if I don’t have to take care of her! Only on these conditions will I marry. Otherwise, I won’t marry at all. I am telling you the truth!”

Promising his ancestors thus, Jaratkaru travelled through the earth and since he was old, no one offered him a bride. Feeling disappointed that he is not able to fulfil the promise he had made to his ancestors, he entered a thick forest and cried out loud: “O moving and unmoving, seen and unseen beings in this forest! Listen to me! I, who have performed terrible Tapas, would like to satisfy my ancestors who are falling into hell. As suggested by them, I am roaming across the earth seeking a bride. If anyone here hears my cry, please give a girl as an alms, a girl – who should have the same name as mine, and a girl whom I don’t have to take care of!”

Then the snakes who had kept a watch on Jaratkaru reported his behaviour to Naga king Vasuki. Listening to their report, Vasuki approached him in the forest along with a fully decked bride. Even though Vasuki gave her as an alms, Jaratkaru did not accept her immediately. He wanted to know her name and who will provide for her. Vasuki said: “Jaratkaru is the name of my Tapasvini sister. Please accept her in marriage. I promise to look after her and protect her with all my strength!”

After confirming that he will take care of his sister, Jaratkaru went to Vasuki’s palace and there he accepted following the rituals Jaratkaru has his wife. He consummated the marriage on a soft bed, decorated with dazzling valuable jewels and flowers. The ascetic entered into an agreement with his wife: “You should never do or say anything that would annoy me. If you do or say such a thing, I will leave you for ever, and will never come back to you!”

One day, the Rishi kept his head on Jaratkaru’ s lap and fell asleep. When he was thus asleep, the sun started setting down. Since the day was getting over, Jaratkaru was afraid that sleeping like that at sun set will cause dharmic lapse on the part of her husband. She debated whether to make him angry by waking him up or to let me commit the mistake of sleeping at sunset by not waking him up. Finally she decided that a letting him do the dharmic lapse is far worse than loosing him, she gently woke him up: “O great Tapasvi! Get up! The sun is setting! You got to do the Sandhyavandana! Its time for the evening fire worship! Look! The beautiful yet terrible evening is covering the west!”

Woken up like this, Jaratkaru got up in anger and said to his wife: “Snake girl! You have humiliated me! I cannot stay with you anymore! I will go! Even the Sun knows that he cannot set while I am asleep, even if it is the regular time to set for him!”

Listening to her angry husband, Jaratkaru tried to pacify him: “Brahmin! I did not wake you up to humiliate you but to prevent any Dharmic lapse on your part!”

Jaratkaru said: “I have never lied before! So I cannot stay with you anymore. Remember we had an agreement on this. After I go, don’t feel sad. Tell you brother that I have gone never to come back!”

Jaratkaru was struck with sudden fear and grief; her face became pale and tears filled her eyes. Even if her heart was beating fast due to fear, she mustered some courage, and said to her husband with folded hands: “It is not right to leave me, who has not committed any mistake! You know Dharma very well, and you also know that your happiness has been the purpose of whatever I do or say. Don’t leave me and go! The purpose for which I was given to you has not yet been fulfilled! What shall I tell Vasuki, who thinks that I have been very stupid? There is no sign of your son in me desperately desired by my relatives afflicted by their mother’s curse! They will be saved only by your son in me! Don’t let the reason for which I was given to you go in vain. Please have pity on me, who constantly has the clan’s wellbeing in her mind. How can you leave me and go before you have made me pregnant and pregnancy is showing?”

Jaratkaru left her and went for a terrible Tapas saying: “Dear woman! A great being, similar to the Fire God in effulgence is growing in you!”

After her husband went away, Jaratkaru reported everything that had happened to her brother Vasuki. Fearing that the objective of the marriage might not have been achieved, Vasuki told her: “Sister! You know why I have given you to him in marriage! Brahma had earlier pronounced that the son born in you to Rishi Jaratkaru will save us from the flames of Janamejaya’s sacrifice. I know it is not right to question you on all that has happened between you and your husband. Yet I am asking you, considering the great danger the entire Naga species is in! Tell me if you are pregnant with his child! That will remove the great thorn that is bothering me for a long time!”

Jaratkaru assured him: “When I asked him about the child, he pointed to my uterus and said “He is there!” and went away! I don’t remember him lying even in jest. Then why will he lie in this great matter? Therefore, brother! Think that your long suffering is over!”

Very happy to hear this, Vasuki pleased his sister with large gifts. The child in her grew like the waxing moon and soon she gave birth to a son, illumined like a God, capable of relieving the pains of his paternal and maternal relatives and ancestors. He grew up in the Naga king’s palace, and learned the Vedas and its branches from Bhargava Chyavana’s son. Even as a boy, he used to follow tough Vratas, and since his father had said “Asti” or “He is there” when he was still a foetus, he came to be known as Astika.

Janamejaya performs the Snake Sacrifice

Hearing these words of Uttanka, Janamejaya flared up with anger against Takshaka like the sacrificial flames when fed with the ghee. Uttanka’s words drowned him in sorrow. Overcome with grief, he asked his ministers about the way his father died: “after hearing from you everything about my father will I decide what is the best thing to do! Not otherwise!”

After listening to how his father king was killed by Takshaka who even prevented a Brahmin who was willing and capable of bringing back his father to life, Janamejaya further asked his ministers: “Who had heard or seen what happened between Takshaka and the Brahmin in the desolate forest that you report to me as what had happened?”

The ministers responded: “O King! There was a person on that tree who had climbed to cut its branches for firewood that was not noticed by either Takshaka or the Brahmin that day. He too, along with that tree, was burned to ashes and was brought back to life. That same person came back to the palace and reported to us what happened on that day in the forest between Takshaka and the Brahmin. Now you may decide what needs to be done!”

The king cried loud in grief and anger: “We should not delay avenging the death of my father! What would that wicked Takshaka have lost if he allowed that Kashyapa save my father? He has greatly sinned by giving wealth and sending away that Brahmin! I will take revenge on Takshaka to please Uttanka and to please ourselves!” Thus Janamejaya undertook the oath of the snake sacrifice. He consulted his priests: “Tell me a plan to drag Takshaka and his relatives into the blazing fire! I want to burn that sinner just like the way he burned my father into ashes!”

The priests replied: “King! There is a great sacrifice that was designed by Gods just for you! This is described in Puranas as Sarpa Satra. It is also said in the Puranas that no one except you is capable of undertaking this sacrifice. We have the methods for this sacrifice.” Janamejaya asked them to go ahead with all the arrangements for the sacrifice. The enthusiastic sacrificial priests chose an even and square land, and measured it according to the scriptures. That sacred land was decorated, complete with all the necessary grains and wealth along with a multitude of sacrificial priests and Brahmins.

But before the sacrifice began, there were signs of obstacles to it. While they were measuring the land for the sacrifice, a by-stander, who was well versed in Vastu Shastra and the Puranas named Lohitaksha, said: “the time and place of measurement indicates that the sacrifice will not be completed due to a certain Brahmin!” Hearing this, the king had ordered that no one should enter the sacrificial place without his permission.

Soon the rituals related to the snake sacrifice were started. Every sacrificing priest performed his part of the rituals strictly according to the scriptures. Every one was dressed in black and their eyes were red due to the smoke. They chanted the spells and put the herbal twigs into the fire. With each spell, they called out the snakes, who fell into the fire, causing a great panic among all the snakes. Calling each other loudly, tangled with each other in embrace, all the snakes were falling into the sacrificial fire, one by one. Swollen and hissing, they fell into the fire, either with their head first or the tail first. White, black, blue, old, and young snakes fell into the blazing fire, screeching and screaming in terror. This way, millions of snakes were weakened and burned in that sacrificial fire. Some were as small as rats. Some were as huge as elephants. Due to their mother’s curse, a large number of snakes were burnt to death in that sacrificial fire.

As the sacrificial priests poured oblations into the fire, the snakes who cause terror to the living came and fell down into the fire. The fat and flesh of the snakes flowed into a stream; and the unbearable stench of constantly burning skin and flesh filled the air. The loud cries of the snakes still standing in the sky, the snakes falling into the fire and the snakes being burnt in the fire could be heard everywhere.

As soon as he came to know that king Janamejaya has undertaken snake sacrifice, the Naga king Takshaka went to Indra’s palace. The frightened snake took refuge in Indra. Pleased, Indra gave shelter to him saying “There is no need here for you to be afraid of the snake sacrifice! In the past, I had prayed, on your behalf, to Lord Brahma. Therefore remove this fever from your mind!” Assured by Indra like this, Takshaka stayed in his palace happily.

But Vasuki, seeing that his species is fast dwindling in number, was very much pained and he approached his sister Jaratkaru: “Dear sister! My limbs are burning and I feel disoriented. I feel that I will soon fall down unconscious. My head is reeling. I am fast loosing my sight and I think I will soon fall into that fire without any protest! Janamejaya has started this snake sacrifice and I am sure to die in this! Therefore, sister! ask your son to prevent this sacrifice! Only he can stop this sacrifice as ordained by Brahma. The time has come to fulfil the purpose for which you were married to Rishi Jaratkaru! Let your son save our species! Tell your learned son, who is respected even by the old, to release us, dependent on him, from this curse!”

Jaratkaru called her son Astika and said: “Son! The time has arrived to fulfil the task for which my brother gave me in marriage to your father. You are the only one who can stop this snake sacrifice in which my brother and his clan has been cursed to get burnt. Do whatever needs to be done!”

After listening in detail about the curse and Brahma’s solution to save the virtuous snakes, Astika assured both his mother and his maternal uncle: “Vasuki! I will release you from this curse! I am telling you the truth. Don’t worry! There is no fear for you from this sacrifice. I will go there and by praising the king engaged in the sacrifice, I will make him stop. Have faith in me!”

Thus assuring Vasuki, Astika arrived at Janamejaya’s sacrificial ground. He was stopped by the guards there, and standing at the entrance itself, Astika started praising loud the king and his sacrifice. Everyone at the sacrificial grounds including the priests and spectators were happy listening to Astika’s praises. Seeing that every one was pleased, king Janamejaya said: “Although a child, he speaks like the elderly! I feel that he is not a child, but a timeless being! I feel like granting him a boon! Priests! Give me your approval!”

The priests said: “The Brahmin, even if a boy, deserves the honour by the king! It is still greater if he is learned. All his desires may be fulfilled. But after Takshaka has arrived here!” Janamejaya was impatient and said: “Use all your powers and immediately drag Takshaka into the fire!” The priests said: “The scriptures and the fire are showing us that the frightened Takshaka is in Indra’s palace!”

Furious, Janamejaya once again urged the priests to whatever was necessary to bring the Naga into the fire: “If he is hiding in Indra’s palace, drag Indra himself along with the snake!” Then as the priests poured the oblations uttering the right spell, Indra himself arrived there. The sky-borne Indra was surrounded by the other Gods, and was followed by great clouds, along with the Vidyadharas and Apsaras. In his clothes was hiding the frightened Naga Takshaka. The priests cried out: “It appears that Takshaka has come under our spell. We can hear his terrible cry! Indra has released him. His limbs have lost their strength. Unconscious, he is coming this way. King! This sacrifice of yours is coming to an end. You can now grant that great Brahmin a boon!”

Then Janamejaya invited Astika into the sacrificial grounds and told him: “O great one in the form of a boy! I want to give you a boon appropriate for you! Ask we what is there in your heart! I will grant you even if it is something that should not be given!”

When Takshaka was about fall into the fire, just in time, Astika asked for the boon: “Janamejaya! If you want to grant me a boon, stop this sacrifice! Let no other snake fall into the fire!”

Janamejaya was unhappy listening to this and said: “Brahmin! I will give you gold, silver, cattle, or anything else that you desire! Don’t stop this sacrifice!”

Astika replied: “King! I don’t want gold, silver, cattle or anything else. Do good to my maternal family be stopping this sacrifice!”

Even after repeated requests by the king, Astika did not ask for any other boon. Then all the others who had gathered there requested the king to grant his boon. When Janamejaya was about to grant the boon to Astika, a great wonder happened. Slipped from Indra’s grip, Takshaka stood still in the sky without falling into the fire. When he was falling down, Astika had cried out loud thrice to Takshaka: “Stop there!” Experiencing pain in the heart, Takshaka had stood there as if hanging between the heavens and the earth.

At that time, pressurized by all others, king Janamejaya granted the boon to Astika: “Let it happen as desired by Astika! Let us stop this sacrifice. Let the snakes survive. Let Lohitaksha’s word come true!”

There were sounds of instant joy everywhere. All assembled priests and Brahmins received ample wealth as gifts. Even Lohitaksha, who had earlier predicted that the sacrifice will abruptly end, was also given wealthy gifts. The happy king honoured Astika and sent him home saying: “Please come again and be my priest for the horse sacrifice that I will soon undertake!” Happily agreeing for this, Astika returned to his mother and uncle, and related to them everything as it happened. All the surviving Nagas gathered there in gratitude to what has been accomplished by Astika and wanted to grant him a boon. Astika asked: “Let anyone who listens to this story, being one with himself, either in the evening or morning, not have fear of snakes!” The Nagas promised: “Whoever remembers you, Astika, born from Jaratkaru in Jaratkaru and protected the snakes, as Asita, Artimanta and Sunita, either in the day or the night, will never have the fear of snakes!”

Thus releasing the snakes from their mother’s curse, Astika eventually succumbed to Time, leaving his children and grand children.