SánscritoIASTSignificado
जुह्वत्सु ऋत्विक्षु अहयः घोराः तत्र प्रापतन्juhvatsu ṛtvikṣu ahayaḥ ghorāḥ tatra prāpatanwhen the priests poured [oblations], fearsome serpents fell there [into the fire]
वसामेदोवहाः कुल्याः नागानां प्रवर्तिताः गन्धः तुमुलः ववौvasāmedovahāḥ kulyāḥ nāgānāṃ pravartitāḥ gandhaḥ tumulaḥ vavaustreams of fat and marrow of the serpents flowed forth, and a tumultuous stench arose [from the burning]
तक्षकः राजानं दीक्षितं श्रुत्वा पुरंदरनिवेशनं गतःtakṣakaḥ rājānaṃ dīkṣitaṃ śrutvā puraṃdaraniveśanaṃ gataḥTakshaka, hearing that the king had been consecrated [for the rite], went to the abode of Indra
तत् सर्वं आख्याय भीतः आगस्कृत्वा पुरंदरं शरणं अगच्छत्tat sarvaṃ ākhyāya bhītaḥ āgaskṛtvā puraṃdaraṃ śaraṇaṃ agacchathaving told everything, terrified and guilty, [he] took refuge in Indra as [his] shelter
इन्द्रः प्राह न तव भयं अस्ति तक्षक तस्मात् सर्पसत्रात्indraḥ prāha na tava bhayaṃ asti takṣaka tasmāt sarpasatrātIndra said: you have no fear, Takshaka, from that serpent sacrifice
मया पूर्वं तवार्थाय पितामहः प्रसादितःmayā pūrvaṃ tavārthāya pitāmahaḥ prasāditaḥI have long since propitiated the Grandfather [Brahma] for your sake
तस्मात् तव भयं न अस्ति व्येतु ते मानसः ज्वरःtasmāt tava bhayaṃ na asti vyetu te mānasaḥ jvaraḥtherefore you have no fear; let the fever of your mind depart
एवम् आश्वासितः भुजगोत्तमः शक्रस्य भवने मुदितः उवासevam āśvāsitaḥ bhujagottamaḥ śakrasya bhavane muditaḥ uvāsathus consoled, the foremost of serpents dwelt joyfully in the abode of Indra
जुह्वत्स्व्juhvatsvoriginal form "juhvatsv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऋत्विक्ष्व्ṛtvikṣvoriginal form "ṛtvikṣv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अथathaoriginal form "atha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्पसत्रेsarpasatreoriginal form "sarpasatre", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाक्रतौmahākratauoriginal form "mahākratau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रापतंस्prāpataṃsoriginal form "prāpataṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्राणिभयावहाःprāṇibhayāvahāḥoriginal form "prāṇibhayāvahāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुल्याkulyāoriginal form "kulyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संप्रवर्तिताःsaṃpravartitāḥoriginal form "saṃpravartitāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गन्धश्gandhaśoriginal form "gandhaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुमुलोtumulooriginal form "tumulo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दह्यताम्dahyatāmoriginal form "dahyatām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अनिशंaniśaṃoriginal form "aniśaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पततांpatatāṃoriginal form "patatāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नागानांnāgānāṃoriginal form "nāgānāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धिष्ठितानांdhiṣṭhitānāṃoriginal form "dhiṣṭhitānāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथाम्बरेtathāmbareoriginal form "tathāmbare", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अश्रूयतानिशंaśrūyatāniśaṃoriginal form "aśrūyatāniśaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शब्दःśabdaḥoriginal form "śabdaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पच्यतांpacyatāṃoriginal form "pacyatāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चाग्निनाcāgnināoriginal form "cāgninā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भृशम्bhṛśamoriginal form "bhṛśam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तक्षकस्takṣakasoriginal form "takṣakas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नागेन्द्रःnāgendraḥoriginal form "nāgendraḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुरंदरनिवेशनम्puraṃdaraniveśanamoriginal form "puraṃdaraniveśanam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रुत्वैवśrutvaivaoriginal form "śrutvaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जनमेजयम्janamejayamoriginal form "janamejayam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततःtataḥoriginal form "tataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथावृत्तम्yathāvṛttamoriginal form "yathāvṛttam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अगच्छच्agacchacoriginal form "agacchac", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
छरणंcharaṇaṃoriginal form "charaṇaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भीतbhītaoriginal form "bhīta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुरंदरम्puraṃdaramoriginal form "puraṃdaram", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तम्tamoriginal form "tam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुप्रीतोsuprītooriginal form "suprīto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तवास्तीहtavāstīhaoriginal form "tavāstīha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नागेन्द्रnāgendraoriginal form "nāgendra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्माद्tasmādoriginal form "tasmād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कथंkathaṃoriginal form "kathaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चनcanaoriginal form "cana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रसादितोprasāditooriginal form "prasādito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नास्तिnāstioriginal form "nāsti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मानसोmānasooriginal form "mānaso", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आश्वासितस्āśvāsitasoriginal form "āśvāsitas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेनtenaoriginal form "tena", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततःtataḥoriginal form "tataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भुजगोत्तमःbhujagottamaḥoriginal form "bhujagottamaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्रtatraoriginal form "tatra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुखीsukhīoriginal form "sukhī", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here is shown the rescue of Takshaka — the chief culprit — under the protection of Indra himself. There is bitter irony in this: the sacrifice was undertaken for the destruction of Takshaka, yet Takshaka alone is saved, sheltering with Indra, while countless other serpents — less guilty or wholly innocent — perish. It is significant that Indra says, «I have propitiated the Grandfather for your sake» — meaning that Takshaka's very fate is guarded by a higher will. Here lies a profound lesson about the inscrutability of karma: the one at whom vengeance is aimed escapes unharmed, while the multitude of the uninvolved suffer. Thus the futility of vengeance is exposed: it does not reach the true culprit, but sows immeasurable suffering. And in this lies fresh ground for Astika's coming intervention: once the culprit himself is safe, the continuation of the rite becomes nothing but the pure slaughter of the innocent, stripped even of the appearance of just retribution.