Mahabharata
Āstīka-parva (āstīka-niyoga) (Āstīka Accepts the Mission)1.49.1–8
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Mahabharata · 1.49.1–8
Devanāgarī

सूत उवाच
तत आहूय पुत्रं स्वं जरत्कारुर् भुजंगमा ॥
वासुकेर् नागराजस्य वचनाद् इदम् अब्रवीत् ॥
अहं तव पितुः पुत्र भ्रात्रा दत्ता निमित्ततः ॥
कालः स चायं संप्राप्तस् तत् कुरुष्व यथातथम् ॥
आस्तीक उवाच
किंनिमित्तं मम पितुर् दत्ता त्वं मातुलेन मे ॥
तन् ममाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन श्रुत्वा कर्तास्मि तत् तथा ॥
सूत उवाच
तत आचष्ट सा तस्मै बान्धवानां हितैषिणी ॥
भगिनी नागराजस्य जरत्कारुर् अविक्लवा ॥
भुजगानाम् अशेषाणां माता कद्रूर् इति श्रुतिः ॥
तया शप्ता रुषितया सुता यस्मान् निबोध तत् ॥
उच्छैःश्रवाः सो ऽश्वराजो यन् मिथ्या न कृतो मम ॥
विनतानिमित्तं पणिते दासभावाय पुत्रकाः ॥
जनमेजयस्य वो यज्ञे धक्ष्यत्य् अनिलसारथिः ॥
तत्र पञ्चत्वम् आपन्नाः प्रेतलोकं गमिष्यथ ॥
तां च शप्तवतीम् एवं साक्षाल् लोकपितामहः ॥
एवम् अस्त्व् इति तद् वाक्यं प्रोवाचानुमुमोद च ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

sūta uvāca
tata āhūya putraṃ svaṃ jaratkārur bhujaṃgamā ||
vāsuker nāgarājasya vacanād idam abravīt ||
ahaṃ tava pituḥ putra bhrātrā dattā nimittataḥ ||
kālaḥ sa cāyaṃ saṃprāptas tat kuruṣva yathātatham ||
āstīka uvāca
kiṃnimittaṃ mama pitur dattā tvaṃ mātulena me ||
tan mamācakṣva tattvena śrutvā kartāsmi tat tathā ||
sūta uvāca
tata ācaṣṭa sā tasmai bāndhavānāṃ hitaiṣiṇī ||
bhaginī nāgarājasya jaratkārur aviklavā ||
bhujagānām aśeṣāṇāṃ mātā kadrūr iti śrutiḥ ||
tayā śaptā ruṣitayā sutā yasmān nibodha tat ||
ucchaiḥśravāḥ so 'śvarājo yan mithyā na kṛto mama ||
vinatānimittaṃ paṇite dāsabhāvāya putrakāḥ ||
janamejayasya vo yajñe dhakṣyaty anilasārathiḥ ||
tatra pañcatvam āpannāḥ pretalokaṃ gamiṣyatha ||
tāṃ ca śaptavatīm evaṃ sākṣāl lokapitāmahaḥ ||
evam astv iti tad vākyaṃ provācānumumoda ca ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जरत्कारुः पुत्रं आहूय वासुकेः वचनात् इदम् अब्रवीत्jaratkāruḥ putraṃ āhūya vāsukeḥ vacanāt idam abravītJaratkaru, calling her son, spoke thus by the word of Vasuki
अहं तव पितुः भ्रात्रा निमित्ततः दत्ता कालः संप्राप्तः तत् कुरुष्वahaṃ tava pituḥ bhrātrā nimittataḥ dattā kālaḥ saṃprāptaḥ tat kuruṣvaI was given to your father by [my] brother for a purpose; the hour has come — do what must be done
आस्तीकः उवाच किंनिमित्तं मातुलेन मे दत्ता तत् तत्त्वेन आचक्ष्वāstīkaḥ uvāca kiṃnimittaṃ mātulena me dattā tat tattvena ācakṣvaAstika said: for what purpose were you given by my uncle? Tell me that truly
सा बान्धवानां हितैषिणी अविक्लवा तस्मै आचष्टsā bāndhavānāṃ hitaiṣiṇī aviklavā tasmai ācaṣṭashe, who wished well to her kin, unflinching, told him
भुजगानाम् अशेषाणां माता कद्रूः तया रुषितया सुताः शप्ताःbhujagānām aśeṣāṇāṃ mātā kadrūḥ tayā ruṣitayā sutāḥ śaptāḥthe mother of all serpents without exception is Kadru; angered, she cursed her sons
उच्छैःश्रवाः अश्वराजः यत् मिथ्या न कृतः विनतानिमित्तं पणितेucchaiḥśravāḥ aśvarājaḥ yat mithyā na kṛtaḥ vinatānimittaṃ paṇite[for] you did not make the horse-king Uccaihsravas a lie in the wager made for Vinata's sake
जनमेजयस्य यज्ञे अनिलसारथिः वः धक्ष्यति प्रेतलोकं गमिष्यथjanamejayasya yajñe anilasārathiḥ vaḥ dhakṣyati pretalokaṃ gamiṣyathaat the sacrifice of Janamejaya, Agni (borne by the wind) will burn you — you will depart to the world of the departed
तां शप्तवतीं लोकपितामहः एवम् अस्तु इति अनुमुमोदtāṃ śaptavatīṃ lokapitāmahaḥ evam astu iti anumumodathat curse-uttering [Kadru] the Grandfather of the world approved with the words "so be it"
सूतsūtaoriginal form "suta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततtataoriginal form "tata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वंsvaṃoriginal form "svam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जरत्कारुर्jaratkāruroriginal form "jaratkarur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भुजंगमाbhujaṃgamāoriginal form "bhujamgama", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वासुकेर्vāsukeroriginal form "vasuker", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नागराजस्यnāgarājasyaoriginal form "nagarajasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वचनाद्vacanādoriginal form "vacanad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रputraoriginal form "putra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
saoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चायंcāyaṃoriginal form "cayam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संप्राप्तस्saṃprāptasoriginal form "samprāptas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथातथम्yathātathamoriginal form "yathātatham", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आस्तीकāstīkaoriginal form "āstīka", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ममmamaoriginal form "mama", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पितुर्pituroriginal form "pitur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वंtvaṃoriginal form "tvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तन्tanoriginal form "tan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ममाचक्ष्वmamācakṣvaoriginal form "mamācakṣva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रुत्वाśrutvāoriginal form "śrutvā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कर्तास्मिkartāsmioriginal form "kartāsmi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथाtathāoriginal form "tathā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतsūtaoriginal form "sūta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततtataoriginal form "tata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भगिनीbhaginīoriginal form "bhaginī", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नागराजस्यnāgarājasyaoriginal form "nāgarājasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जरत्कारुर्jaratkāruroriginal form "jaratkārur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कद्रूर्kadrūroriginal form "kadrūr", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रुतिःśrutiḥoriginal form "śrutiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शप्ताśaptāoriginal form "śaptā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुताsutāoriginal form "sutā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यस्मान्yasmānoriginal form "yasmān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निबोधnibodhaoriginal form "nibodha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्tatoriginal form "tat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सोsooriginal form "so", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽश्वराजो'śvarājooriginal form "'śvarājo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यन्yanoriginal form "yan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कृतोkṛtooriginal form "kṛto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ममmamaoriginal form "mama", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दासभावायdāsabhāvāyaoriginal form "dāsabhāvāya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रकाःputrakāḥoriginal form "putrakāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वोvooriginal form "vo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धक्ष्यत्य्dhakṣyatyoriginal form "dhakṣyaty", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्रtatraoriginal form "tatra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पञ्चत्वम्pañcatvamoriginal form "pañcatvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आपन्नाःāpannāḥoriginal form "āpannāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
caoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शप्तवतीम्śaptavatīmoriginal form "śaptavatīm", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवंevaṃoriginal form "evaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
साक्षाल्sākṣāloriginal form "sākṣāl", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अस्त्व्astvoriginal form "astv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इतिitioriginal form "iti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वाक्यंvākyaṃoriginal form "vākyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रोवाचानुमुमोदprovācānumumodaoriginal form "provācānumumoda", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
caoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation

Suta said: "Then the serpent Jaratkaru, calling her son, by the word of Vasuki, king of the nagas, spoke thus: 'I, O son, was given to your father by [my] brother for a purpose; that hour has come — do now what must be done.' Astika said: 'For what purpose were you given to my father by my uncle? Tell me that truly; hearing it, I shall do accordingly.' Suta said: 'Then she, who wished well to her kin, the sister of the king of the nagas, Jaratkaru, unflinching, told him: "The mother of all serpents without exception is Kadru — so runs the tradition; angered, she cursed her sons — learn for what. 'You did not make the horse-king Uccaihsravas a lie in the wager staked for Vinata's sake, for the sake of her bondage, O little sons; for that, at the sacrifice of Janamejaya, Agni, borne by the wind, will burn you; there, meeting your end, you will depart to the world of the dead.' And that curse-uttering [Kadru] the Grandfather of the world himself, with the words 'so be it,' approved and consented to [her] word."'"

Version

0cc5b071200a · published Jul 12, 2026, 3:05:39 PM UTC

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