01.031
Library: Names of primary snakes.
Śaunaka spoke:
O son of the charioteer, the reason for the curse on the serpents was explained by both the mother and the son of Vinatā.
The husband granted boons to Kadru and Vinata. The names of the two sons of Vinata, the birds, were also mentioned.
O son of Sūta, you have not mentioned the names of the serpents. We wish to hear their names, especially the prominent ones.
Sūta said:
O sage, there are many names of serpents. I will not recount all of them in detail, but listen to the main ones.
Shesha was the first to be born, followed by Vasuki. Then came Airavata, Takshaka, and the pair Karkotaka and Dhananjaya.
Kaliya, Maninaga, Naga, Apurana, Pinjaraka, Elapatra, and Vamana are mentioned.
Nila and Anila, as well as the serpents Kalmasha and Shabala, along with Aryaka, Adika, and the serpent Shalapotaka.
Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, and Vimalapiṇḍaka; Āpta, Koṭanaka, and indeed Śaṅkha, Vālaśikha, and others are mentioned here.
The verse lists various objects and names: a type of weapon, a golden cave, Nahusha, something brownish, an outer ear, an elephant foot, and a club-shaped ball.
Kambala, Aśvatara, and the serpent Kāliya, as well as Vṛtta and Saṁvartaka, two serpents, and Padma, are thus heard of.
The serpent Śaṅkhanaka, along with another named Sphaṇḍaka, and Kṣemaka, the great serpent, as well as the serpent Piṇḍāraka.
The oleander, with its flower-fanged appearance, resembles a goat with a yellowish bilva fruit hue, known for eating mice, having a conch-shaped head, full fangs, and a turmeric color.
The unconquered Jyotika and the serpent Śrīvaha, along with Kauravya, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Puṣkara, and Śalyaka are mentioned.
Viraja, Subahu, and Śālipaṇḍa were powerful. Hastibhadra, Piṭharaka, Mukhara, and Koṇavāsana were also present.
The elephant, osprey, serpent, and sun are mentioned. The lotus, lotus-eyed, partridge, and ploughman are also included. Both the crab and non-crab, as well as the pot-bellied and big-bellied, are noted.
These serpents are primarily mentioned, O best of the twice-born. Due to the multitude of names, the others are not mentioned.
The origin and continuation of these are countless; hence, I do not describe them, O noble Brahmin.
O ascetic, it is indeed impossible to count the innumerable serpents here, which number in the thousands, tens of millions, and hundreds of millions.
