‘Thus rendering the gods almost dead, the best of the birds went to where the amrita was and found it surrounded from all sides by fire. The flames of that great raging fire covered up by the entire sky and moved by violent winds seemed to burn up the hot and sharp rays of the sun. The great-souled Garuda thereupon assumed ninety times ninety mouths and drank up with these mouths water from rivers. Returning with great speed and using his wings as a chariot, he quenched the blazing fires with the rivers. Putting out the fires, he adopted a very small form, wishing to enter.’100
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Souti said, ‘Assuming the form of a golden body as bright as the rays of the sun, Garuda entered with great force, like a river entering the ocean. He saw a wheel near the amrita, with keen edges and sharp blades, revolving continuously and murderously around it, blazing like the fire and the sun, a fearful instrument skilfully created by the gods to slice down those who wished to steal the soma. The bird saw an entry through this. He made his body very small and in an instant passed through the spokes in the wheel.
‘Behind the wheel, he saw two large snakes, standing guard over the amrita. They blazed like flaming fire and their tongues were like lightning. Their power was immense and their faces and their eyes were fiery. They were terrible, angry and always mobile and their eyes had venom in them. Their eyes did not blink and displayed rage. Anyone who was even seen by those two was instantly burnt to ashes. The one with the beautiful feathers101 instantly flung dust into their eyes and thus making them sightless he attacked them from all directions. Vinata’s son, the traveller in the skies, attacked their bodies and at will tore them into shreds. Without any delay, he then went to where the soma was.
‘Vinata’s powerful son picked up the amrita from where it was. The valorous one flew up into the sky, in the process shattering the instrument into pieces. The bird soon emerged, grasping the amrita, but without drinking it. He proceeded on his way, not tired at all, making the sun’s radiance seem dark.
‘Then Vinata’s son encountered Vishnu in the sky. Narayana was pleased with him at his act of self-denial and told the bird, “I am the god who grants boons that don’t decay.” The bird said, “I always wish to remain above you.” He again told Narayana, “I wish to be immortal, free from the decay of age, without the amrita.” Having received these boons, Vinata’s son told Vishnu, “O illustrious one! I wish to grant you a boon too.” Krishna102 asked for the boon that the powerful one should always be his vehicle.103 The illustrious god Narayana placed the bird on his flagstaff and said, “Thus you will always be above me.” The bird agreed.
‘As the bird, the enemy of the gods, flew on with the amrita, Indra powerfully struck him with his vajra. Struck by the vajra, Garuda, supreme among those who fly, tauntingly told Indra in a pleasant voice, “I shall respect the rishi from whose bones the vajra has been constructed. O Shatakratu! I shall respect the vajra and you too. I will cast off one of my feathers and you will never be able to find its ends. I have not felt the slightest pain at being struck by your vajra.” On seeing that beautiful feather, all the beings were amazed and exclaimed, “Let this bird be called Suparna.”104 On seeing this marvellous act, the thousand-eyed Purandara was surprised and concluded that the bird must be a great being. He said, “O supreme among birds! I wish to know the extreme limits of your incomparable strength. I wish to be your eternal friend.”’
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‘Garuda said, “O Purandara! As you wish, let there be friendship between us. But know that my strength is great and hard to bear. O Shatakratu! There is no doubt that the learned do not approve of speaking highly of one’s own strength or of praising one’s own qualities. O friend! Since we are now friends and since you ask me, I will tell you, though there should never be self-praise without reason. O Shakra! On a single one of my feathers, without any fatigue, I can bear the wide world with its mountains, forests, oceans and even you suspended there, even all the worlds together, with all their mobile and immobile objects. Know this to be my great strength.”
‘O Shounaka! When the hero said this, the illustrious and prosperous lord, the crowned king of the gods, the bringer of welfare to all beings, said, “Now accept my eternal and supreme friendship. If you do not require the soma, please return the soma to me. Those to whom you give it will always overcome us.” Garuda replied, “There is a reason why I am taking the soma away. I will not give the soma to anyone to drink. O god with the thousand eyes! O ruler of the three worlds! When I have put it down, you can immediately pick it up and bring it back.” Shakra said, “O you who are born of an egg! Your words please me. O best of the birds! Ask from me any boon that you desire.” Being thus addressed, he remembered Kadru’s son and his mother’s slavery through deception and said, “O Shakra! I have the power to do what I desire. Yet, I will be a supplicant before you. Let the mighty snakes be my food.” The enemy of the danavas agreed and said, “I shall take the soma away when you have put it down.” Thereafter, with great speed, Suparna went to his mother.
‘In great delight, he told all the snakes, “I have brought you the amrita. I will place it for you on this kusha grass. O snakes! Drink it after bathing and purifying yourselves through rites. I have done what you asked me to do. Therefore, as you had promised, let my mother be freed from her slavery at this very instant.” The snakes agreed and went off to have their baths. Shakra picked up the amrita and went off to heaven. After bathing and purifying themselves through prayers and rites, the snakes joyfully returned to the place where the soma had been kept, to drink it. But the snakes found that they had been deceived. They began to lick the darbha grass on which the soma had been placed. Because of this act, the tongues of the snakes were split in two and became forked. From that day, because of contact with the amrita, the darbha grass became sacred.
‘Thereafter, Suparna happily lived in that forest with his mother. He delighted Vinata by eating snakes, being honoured by all birds and always earning fame. Without a doubt, he who hears this story or recites it in an assembly of Brahmanas, will attain heaven, obtaining his share of merit from the glorification of the great-souled lord of the birds.’
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Shounaka said, ‘O, son of a suta! You have told us why the snakes were cursed by their mother. You have told us why Vinata was cursed by her son. You have told us about the boons granted to Kadru and Vinata by their husband. You have given us the names of the two birds who were born from Vinata. O son of a suta! But you have not told us the names of the snakes. We wish to hear their names, at least those who are chief among them.’
Souti said, ‘O one who is blessed with the power of austerities! The names of the snakes are many. I will not mention all their names, but only the main ones. Listen. The first one to be born was Shesha and Vasuki came after him. Then Airavata, Takshaka, Karkotaka, Dhananjaya, Kaliya, Maninaga, the snake Apurana, Pinjaraka, Elapatra, Vamana, Nila, Anila, Kalmasha, Shabala, Aryaka, Adika, Shalapotaka, Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, Vimalapindaka, Apta, Kotanaka, Shankha, Valishikha, Nishthayunaka, Hemaguha, Nahusha, Pingala, Bahyakarna, Hastipada, Mudgarapindaka, Kambala, Ashvatara, Kaliyaka, Vritta, Samvartaka, the two snakes known as Padma, Shankhanaka, Sphandaka, Kshemaka, Pindaraka, Karavira, Pushpadamshtra, Haridraka, Aparajita, Jyotika, Shrivaha, Kauravya, Dhritarashtra,105 Pushkara, Shalyaka, Virajas, Subahu, the mighty Shalipinda, Hastibhadra, Pitharaka, Kumuda, Kumudaksha, Tittiri, Halika, Karkara, Akarakara, Mukhara, Konavasana, Kunjara, Kurara, Prabhakara, Kundodara and Mahodara.
‘O best of the twice-born! I have told you the names of the chief snakes. Since there are too many names, I have not told you the names of the others. O one blessed with austerities! I believe the progeny and the offspring of the progeny to be innumerable. Therefore, I will not mention them. O one blessed with austerities! There are many thousands, millions106 and hundreds of millions107 of snakes in the world. One cannot recount all their numbers.’
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Shounaka said, ‘O son! You have told us about the many valorous and invincib
le serpents. Now that you have told me about their curse, what did they do after that?’
Souti said, ‘The illustrious and greatly famous lord Shesha left Kadru and practised severe austerities. He lived on air and observed rigid vows. He went to Mount Gandhamadana and practised his austerities in Badari, Gokarna, Pushkararanya108 and the slopes of the Himalayas. He spent his time in these sacred tirthas, always rigid in observing his vows and controlling his senses.
‘The grandfather109 saw him engaged in terrible austerities, a lord with matted hair and dressed in bark, his skin, flesh and muscles dried up. Addressing the ascetic engaged in his austerities and truthful vows, the grandfather said, “O Shesha! What are you doing? Let the welfare of all beings also be in your thoughts. O unblemished one! You are causing pain to all beings through your severe austerities. O Shesha! Tell me what the wish in your heart is.” Shesha replied, “My brothers who shared the same womb are wicked of mind. I do not wish to live with them. Please allow me this. Like great enemies, they are always jealous of each other. I am therefore engaged in austerities. I do not wish to see them. O grandfather! They show no kindness for Vinata or her son, though Vinata’s son is also our brother. They always show him hatred. So does he. Because of the boon granted by the great-souled Kashyapa, our father, he is much stronger. Therefore, I shall carry on with these austerities until I have shed this body of mine. I will not associate with my brothers, in this life or another.”
‘When Shesha uttered these words, Brahma said, “O Shesha! I know what all your brothers do. There is a great danger that looms before them because of their mother’s offence. O snake! But earlier, I have already provided for an exception. O Shesha! Do not grieve for any of your brothers. Choose whatever boon you wish for from me. I am extremely pleased with you and I wish to grant you a boon. O best of the snakes! It is good that your mind is fixed on dharma. Let your mind be established even more firmly on dharma.” Shesha replied, “O divine grandfather! O lord! I ask for the boon that my mind always delight in dharma, in tranquillity and in austerities.”
‘Brahma said, “O Shesha! I am extremely pleased with your self-denial and desire for tranquillity. For the welfare of all creatures, let the words that you have expressed be fulfilled at my command. O Shesha! This wide earth is very unstable with its mountains and forests, towns, habitations and oceans. Bear it up properly and well, so that it is stable.” Shesha replied, “O divine Prajapati! O granter of boons! O lord of the earth! O lord of every being! O lord of the universe! As you command, I will hold the earth steady. Please place it on my head.” Brahma said, “O best of the snakes! O Shesha! Go under the earth and she herself will open up a passage for you. By holding up the earth, you will perform an act greatly valued by me.” Shesha agreed. The first among the snakes, the first one to be born, entered the passage in the earth and remained there. He carries the goddess earth, encircled by a girdle of oceans, on his head.
‘Brahma said, “O Shesha! You are the best of the snakes. You are the god of dharma, because you singly hold up the earth, encircling her with your endless coils. This is no less than what I myself, or the cleaver of Bala,110 can do.” Thus does the powerful snake Ananta111 always live under the ground, holding up the earth on Lord Brahma’s command. Then the grandfather, the illustrious lord who is the foremost among the gods, provided Vinata’s son Garuda to Ananta as a helper.’
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Souti said, ‘Vasuki, best among snakes, heard about the curse from his mother and wondered about how it might be aborted. He held a consultation with Airavata and all his other brothers, those who were devoted to dharma. Vasuki said, “O unblemished ones! As you know, a curse has been pronounced on all of us. We should have consultations to free ourselves from this curse. There is no curse that does not have a remedy. O snakes! But he who has been cursed by his mother has no remedy. My heart trembles on hearing that this curse was uttered before the immutable, immeasurable and truthful one.112 Without a doubt, our annihilation is imminent. Otherwise, the immutable lord would have prevented our mother from imposing the curse. Therefore, let us consult now to see how the health of the snakes can be preserved. Let us not waste time. Through our consultations, we may be able to find a means of escape, like in ancient times the gods regained the lost Agni who had hidden himself inside a cave, so that Janamejaya’s sacrifice for the destruction of the snakes does not take place or is overcome.” Thus addressed, all of Kadru’s offspring assembled. They were wise in counsels and put forward their views.
‘Some snakes present said, “Let us assume the form of bulls among Brahmanas and beg Janamejaya to call off the sacrifice.” Other snakes who believed themselves to be wise said, “All of us will become his best advisers. Without a doubt, he will then ask for our considered opinion on all the rituals and we will render him advice that the sacrifice should be stopped. Thinking us to be extremely wise, the wise king will certainly ask us about the sacrifice and we will give reasons why it should not be held. We will point out many serious evils, in this world and the next, that will result and show causes and reasons why the sacrifice should not be held. Or if a preceptor, who is known to be devoted to the king’s welfare and is well-versed in the rites of a snake-sacrifice, is appointed as the priest, one of us can bite and kill him so that he is dispatched to the land of Yama. If the sacrificial priest is killed, there will be no sacrifice. If other experts in snake-sacrifices are appointed as officiating priests, we will bite them too and our objective will be attained.” Some other snakes who were devoted to dharma said, “This advice is not good. It is not proper to kill Brahmanas. Confronted with any danger, ultimate pacification is only possible when the remedy is based on dharma. As we know, adharma only destroys the entire world.” Other snakes said, “Let us become clouds luminescent with lightning and rain down showers so as to extinguish the sacrificial fire.” Other superior snakes said, “Let us go in the night, unobserved by anyone, and steal the ladles for the sacrifice. That will bring an obstruction. Or let the snakes go in their hundreds and thousands to the sacrifice and bite everyone and create a terror. Or let the snakes defile the pure food with their dung and urine, so that all the food is destroyed.” Others said, “Let us become officiating priests at the sacrifice and obstruct it by demanding our dakshina113 at the beginning. Let us overpower the king, so that he does that which we ask him to.” Others said, “When the king is sporting in the water, let us carry him home and tie him up, so that the sacrifice is not held.” Others, thinking themselves to be virtuous, said, “Let us go to the king and bite him at once, so that our objective is attained. Through his death, the root of all our afflictions will be severed. This is the final result of our wisdom and consultations. O king! If you approve of this, let us proceed immediately.”
‘Having said all this, they looked at Vasuki, the lord of the snakes. After thinking for a while, Vasuki told the snakes, “O snakes! This final advice of yours is not fit to be carried out. Not a single one of the plans given by the snakes seems right to me. What can I suggest that will be for our welfare? That is the reason I am worried. The credit and the blame for the act will rest on me alone.’
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Souti said, ‘Having heard what all the snakes and Vasuki had to say, Elapatra said, “This sacrifice is certain. The Pandava, King Janamejaya, from whom great terror for us results, is also certain. O king!114 One who is afflicted by destiny can find a remedy in destiny alone. There can be no other recourse. O best of the snakes! The source of our danger is destiny. Therefore, it is only destiny that can be our refuge. Listen to my words. O best of the snakes! When that curse was imposed, I was frightened and climbed up into my mother’s lap. O best of the snakes! O immensely radiant lord! From there, I heard the sorrowful gods speak to the grandfather.
‘“The gods said, ‘O grandfather! O god of the gods! Who but the harsh Kadru, having borne such beloved children, can curse them in this way and in front of you too? O grandfather! And you also approved of her curse. We wish to kno
w why she was not stopped.’
‘“Brahma said, ‘The snakes have become numerous. They are cruel, terrible in valour and full of poison. Because of the welfare of all other creatures, I did not prevent Kadru. The snakes which are destined to be destroyed are poisonous ones that have a propensity to bite, those that bite for little reason, the mean and evil ones, not snakes that follow dharma. Hear how those snakes can escape from that terrible danger when the time comes. In the line of the Yayavaras, there will be born a great rishi, intelligent, austere and self-controlled, who will be known by the name of Jaratkaru. That Jaratkaru will have a son named Astika, who will also be blessed by the power of austerities. He will bring an end to the sacrifice and snakes who are virtuous will escape.’
‘“The gods asked, ‘O god! On whom will Jaratkaru, foremost among sages and gifted with great powers of asceticism, beget that great-souled and powerful son?’
‘“Brahma said, ‘O gods! The powerful one, the best of the Brahmanas, will beget a powerful son on a woman who will have the same name as his own.”’
‘Elapatra said, “The gods agreed with the grandfather that it would happen that way. The gods went away and so did the grandfather God. O Vasuki! I see before me your sister, who bears the name of Jaratkaru. Give her as alms to the rishi of rigid vows when he comes looking for alms, so that this great danger to the snakes may be pacified. I have heard that this is the means of escape.”’
Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) Page 12