01.012
Library:Shatapata disappears
रुरुरुवाच॥
Ruru spoke.
कथं हिंसितवान्सर्पान्क्षत्रियो जनमेजयः । सर्पा वा हिंसितास्तात किमर्थं द्विजसत्तम ॥१-१२-१॥
How did the warrior Janamejaya kill the serpents? Or, father, why were the serpents killed, O best of the twice-born?
किमर्थं मोक्षिताश्चैव पन्नगास्तेन शंस मे । आस्तीकेन तदाचक्ष्व श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यशेषतः ॥१-१२-२॥
Please tell me why the serpents were released by Āstīka. I wish to hear the complete explanation.
ऋषिरुवाच॥
The sage spoke.
श्रोष्यसि त्वं रुरो सर्वमास्तीकचरितं महत् । ब्राह्मणानां कथयतामित्युक्त्वान्तरधीयत ॥१-१२-३॥
O Ruru, you will hear the entire great story of Āstīka as narrated by the Brāhmaṇas. Having said this, he disappeared.
सूत उवाच॥
Sūta said.
रुरुश्चापि वनं सर्वं पर्यधावत्समन्ततः । तमृषिं द्रष्टुमन्विच्छन्संश्रान्तो न्यपतद्भुवि ॥१-१२-४॥
Ruru, in his quest to find the sage, ran tirelessly through the entire forest and eventually, exhausted, collapsed on the ground.
लब्धसञ्ज्ञो रुरुश्चायात्तच्चाचख्यौ पितुस्तदा । पिता चास्य तदाख्यानं पृष्टः सर्वं न्यवेदयत् ॥१-१२-५॥
Ruru, having regained his senses, approached his father and recounted the events. His father, upon being asked, narrated the whole story.
