महाभारतम् — १.३३

सूत उवाच ।

मातुः सकाशात्तं शापं श्रुत्वा पन्नगसत्तमः ।
वासुकिश्चिन्तयामास शापोऽयं न भवेत्कथम् ॥

M N Dutt Sauti said: The best of snakes, Vasuki, hearing the curse of his mother, pondered over how to make it abortive.

१.३३.२

ततः स मन्त्रयामास भ्रातृभिः सह सर्वशः ।
ऐरावतप्रभृतिभिर्ये स्म धर्मपरायणाः ॥

M N Dutt He held a consultation with all his brothers, Airavata and others, who were virtuous.

वासुकिरुवाच ।

१.३३.३

अयं शापो यथोद्दिष्टो विदितं वस्तथानघाः ।
तस्य शापस्य मोक्षार्थं मन्त्रयित्वा यतामहे ॥

M N Dutt Vasuki said: O sinless ones, the curse on us is well known to you. We should try to neutralise it.

१.३३.४

सर्वेषामेव शापानां प्रतिघातो हि विद्यते ।
न तु मात्राभिशप्तानां मोक्षो विद्येत पन्नगाः ॥

M N Dutt Remedies exist for all curses, but no remedy can avail those who are cursed by their mother.

१.३३.५

अव्ययस्याप्रमेयस्य सत्यस्य च तथाग्रतः ।
शप्ता इत्येव मे श्रुत्वा जायते हृदि वेपथुः ॥

M N Dutt Hearing that this curse was uttered before the immutable, the infinite and the true one, my heart trembles.

१.३३.६

नूनं सर्वविनाशोऽयमस्माकं समुदाहृतः ।
न ह्येनां सोऽव्ययो देवः शपन्तीं प्रत्यषेधयत् ॥

M N Dutt Our annihilation has certainly come; otherwise the immutable Lord should have prevented our mother from uttering the curse.

१.३३.७

तस्मात्संमन्त्रयामोऽत्र भुजगानामनामयम् ।
यथा भवेत सर्वेषां मा नः कालोऽत्यगादयम् ॥

M N Dutt Therefore, let us consult today how we may secure the safety of the snakes. Let us not waste time.

१.३३.८

अपि मन्त्रयमाणा हि हेतुं पश्याम मोक्षणे ।
यथा नष्टं पुरा देवा गूढमग्निं गुहागतम् ॥

१.३३.९

यथा स यज्ञो न भवेद्यथा वापि पराभवेत् ।
जनमेजयस्य सर्पाणां विनाशकरणाय हि ॥

M N Dutt As did the celestials, in the days of yore, to regain the lost Agni who had concealed himself within a cave, cave, so that the sacrifice of Janamejaya for the destruction of the snakes may not take place and so that we may not meet with our destruction.

सूत उवाच ।

१.३३.१०

तथेत्युक्त्वा तु ते सर्वे काद्रवेयाः समागताः ।
समयं चक्रिरे तत्र मन्त्रबुद्धिविशारदाः ॥

M N Dutt Sauti said: Thus addressed, all the offspring of Kadru assembled together; they were all wise in counsel and they gave their opinions (one after the other.)

१.३३.११

एके तत्राब्रुवन्नागा वयं भूत्वा द्विजर्षभाः ।
जनमेजयं तं भिक्षामो यज्ञस्ते न भवेदिति ॥

M N Dutt One party said, “We shall assume the guise of Brahmana Rishis and asked Janamejaya not to hold the sacrifice.”

१.३३.१२

अपरे त्वब्रुवन्नागास्तत्र पण्डितमानिनः ।
मन्त्रिणोऽस्य वयं सर्वे भविष्यामः सुसंमताः ॥

M N Dutt Others, thinking themselves wise, said, "We shall all become his favourite counsellors.

१.३३.१३

स नः प्रक्ष्यति सर्वेषु कार्येष्वर्थविनिश्चयम् ।
तत्र बुद्धिं प्रवक्ष्यामो यथा यज्ञो निवर्तते ॥

M N Dutt He will then certainly ask our advice in all things and we shall then give him such advice as may obstruct the sacrifice.

१.३३.१४

स नो बहुमतान्राजा बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमतां वरः ।
यज्ञार्थं प्रक्ष्यति व्यक्तं नेति वक्ष्यामहे वयम् ॥

M N Dutt The king, thinking us wise, will certainly ask our advice about his sacrifice and we shall say, "Don't hold it."

१.३३.१५

दर्शयन्तो बहून्दोषान्प्रेत्य चेह च दारुणान् ।
हेतुभिः कारणैश्चैव यथा यज्ञो भवेन्न सः ॥

M N Dutt We shall point him out many serious evils in this world and the next, with reasons and causes, so that the sacrifice may not take place.

१.३३.१६

अथ वा य उपाध्यायः क्रतौ तस्मिन्भविष्यति ।
सर्पसत्रविधानज्ञो राजकार्यहिते रतः ॥

M N Dutt (We can do this also); let one of the snakes by biting kill the persons, who will try to do good to the king and who will be wellacquainted with the rites of the Snake-sacrifice and who will be appointed as the sacrificial priest. And by his death, the sacrifice will not be completed.

१.३३.१७

तं गत्वा दशतां कश्चिद्भुजगः स मरिष्यति ।
तस्मिन्हते यज्ञकरे क्रतुः स न भविष्यति ॥

M N Dutt (We can do this also); let one of the snakes by biting kill the persons, who will try to do good to the king and who will be wellacquainted with the rites of the Snake-sacrifice and who will be appointed as the sacrificial priest. And by his death, the sacrifice will not be completed.

१.३३.१८

ये चान्ये सर्पसत्रज्ञा भविष्यन्त्यस्य ऋत्विजः ।
तांश्च सर्वान्दशिष्यामः कृतमेवं भविष्यति ॥

M N Dutt We shall also bite those who are acquainted with the Snakes-sacrifice and who may be appointed as the Ritviks of the sacrifice. Thus we shall obtain our object."

१.३३.१९

तत्रापरेऽमन्त्रयन्त धर्मात्मानो भुजंगमाः ।
अबुद्धिरेषा युष्माकं ब्रह्महत्या न शोभना ॥

M N Dutt Some other snakes, who were kind hearted and virtuous, said, “Your this advice is not good. It is not proper to kill Brahmanas.”

१.३३.२०

सम्यक्सद्धर्ममूला हि व्यसने शान्तिरुत्तमा ।
अधर्मोत्तरता नाम कृत्स्नं व्यापादयेज्जगत् ॥

M N Dutt That remedy is proper in a danger which rests on righteousness. Unrighteousness finally destroys the world.”

१.३३.२१

अपरे त्वब्रुवन्नागाः समिद्धं जातवेदसम् ।
वर्षैर्निर्वापयिष्यामो मेघा भूत्वा सविद्युतः ॥

M N Dutt Other snakes said : “We shall extinguish the sacrificial fire by becoming clouds luminous with lightning and pouring down showers.

१.३३.२२

स्रुग्भाण्डं निशि गत्वा वा अपरे भुजगोत्तमाः ।
प्रमत्तानां हरन्त्वाशु विघ्न एवं भविष्यति ॥

M N Dutt Other good snakes said, “Let us go in the night and steal away the vessel of the Soma. This will obstruct the sacrifice.

१.३३.२३

यज्ञे वा भुजगास्तस्मिञ्शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ।
जनं दशन्तु वै सर्वमेवं त्रासो भविष्यति ॥

M N Dutt Or let the snakes go in hundred and thousands to the sacrifice, bite every one and thus create a terror.

१.३३.२४

अथ वा संस्कृतं भोज्यं दूषयन्तु भुजंगमाः ।
स्वेन मूत्रपुरीषेण सर्वभोज्यविनाशिना ॥

M N Dutt Or let the serpents defile the pure food with their urine and dung."

१.३३.२५

अपरे त्वब्रुवंस्तत्र ऋत्विजोऽस्य भवामहे ।
यज्ञविघ्नं करिष्यामो दीयतां दक्षिणा इति ।
वश्यतां च गतोऽसौ नः करिष्यति यथेप्षितम् ॥

M N Dutt Others said, “Let us become the Ritviks of the king and obstruct the sacrifice by saying at the very outset, 'Give us our Dakshina."

१.३३.२६

अपरे त्वब्रुवंस्तत्र जले प्रक्रीडितं नृपम् ।
गृहमानीय बध्नीमः क्रतुरेवं भवेन्न सः ॥

१.३३.२७

अपरे त्वब्रुवंस्तत्र नागाः सुकृतकारिणः ।
दशामैनं प्रगृह्याशु कृतमेवं भविष्यति ।
छिन्नं मूलमनर्थानां मृते तस्मिन्भविष्यति ॥

M N Dutt “Let us go to the king and bite him, so that our object may be accomplished. By his death the root of all evil will be destroyed.

१.३३.२८

एषा वै नैष्ठिकी बुद्धिः सर्वेषामेव संमता ।
यथा वा मन्यसे राजंस्तत्क्षिप्रं संविधीयताम् ॥

M N Dutt O snake, that hears by the eyes, this is the final result of our deliberations. O king, do speedily what you think proper.

१.३३.२९

इत्युक्त्वा समुदैक्षन्त वासुकिं पन्नगेश्वरम् ।
वासुकिश्चापि संचिन्त्य तानुवाच भुजंगमान् ॥

M N Dutt Having said this, they all eagerly looked at the best of the snakes, Vasuki. And Vasuki, after reflecting a while, told the snakes,

१.३३.३०

नैषा वो नैष्ठिकी बुद्धिर्मता कर्तुं भुजंगमाः ।
सर्वेषामेव मे बुद्धिः पन्नगानां न रोचते ॥

M N Dutt "O snakes, your this final determination does not seem worthy of adoption. The advice, that all give, are not to my liking.

१.३३.३१

किं त्वत्र संविधातव्यं भवतां यद्भवेद्धितम् ।
अनेनाहं भृशं तप्ये गुणदोषौ मदाश्रयौ ॥

M N Dutt I should do that would be good to you all. It is this that makes me so anxious, for the credit and the discredit of the act will rest on me alone.

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