01.039
Library: Giving money, Takshaka sends back Kashyapa who came to save the King. Through Maya, Takshaka disguises himself as a worn inside some fruit.
takṣaka uvāca॥
Takshaka spoke:
daṣṭaṃ yadi mayeha tvaṃ śaktaḥ kiñciccikitsitum. tato vṛkṣaṃ mayā daṣṭamimaṃ jīvaya kāśyapa ॥1-39-1॥
If you have the ability to treat anything here, then please revive this tree that I have bitten, Kashyapa.
paraṃ mantrabalaṃ yatte taddarśaya yatasva ca। nyagrodhamenaṃ dhakṣyāmi paśyataste dvijottama ॥1-39-2॥
O best of the twice-born, demonstrate your supreme mantra power and make an effort, for I shall set this banyan tree ablaze as you watch.
kāśyapa uvāca॥
Kashyapa spoke:
daśa nāgendra vṛkṣaṃ tvaṃ yamenamabhimanyase। ahamenaṃ tvayā daṣṭaṃ jīvayiṣye bhujaṅgama ॥1-39-3॥
You think of this tree as the ten serpent kings by Yama. I will bring this serpent, bitten by you, back to life.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
evamuktaḥ sa nāgendraḥ kāśyapena mahātmanā। adaśadvṛkṣamabhyetya nyagrodhaṃ pannagottamaḥ ॥1-39-4॥
Thus addressed by the great soul Kashyapa, the king of serpents approached and bit the banyan tree.
sa vṛkṣas tena daṣṭaḥ san sadya eva mahādyuteḥ। āśīviṣaviṣopetaḥ prajajvāla samantataḥ ॥1-39-5॥
The tree, bitten by him, was immediately engulfed in flames, shining brightly, as it was infused with the serpent's poison.
taṃ dagdhvā sa nagaṃ nāgaḥ kāśyapaṃ punarabravīt. kuru yatnaṃ dvijaśreṣṭha jīvayainaṃ vanaspatim ॥1-39-6॥
After burning the forest, the serpent spoke again to Kashyapa, urging him, "O revered sage, please try to bring this tree back to life."
bhasmībhūtaṃ tato vṛkṣaṃ pannagendrasya tejasā| bhasma sarvaṃ samāhṛtya kāśyapo vākyamabravīt ॥1-39-7॥
The tree was reduced to ashes by the power of the serpent king. Kashyapa collected all the ashes and spoke.
vidyābalaṁ pannagendra paśya me'sminvanaspatau। ahaṁ sañjīvayāmyenaṁ paśyataste bhujaṅgama ॥1-39-8॥
O king of serpents, behold my power of knowledge in this tree. I shall revive this serpent as you watch.
tataḥ sa bhagavān vidvān kāśyapo dvijasattamaḥ। bhasmarāśīkṛtaṃ vṛkṣaṃ vidyayā samajīvayat ॥1-39-9॥
Then the wise and revered sage Kashyapa, the best among the twice-born, used his knowledge to bring back to life a tree that had been reduced to ashes.
aṅkuraṃ taṃ sa kṛtavāṃstataḥ parṇadvayānvitam| palāśinaṃ śākhinaṃ ca tathā viṭapinaṃ punaḥ ॥1-39-10॥
He created that sprout, which then had two leaves, and it grew with leaves, branches, and twigs again.
taṁ dṛṣṭvā jīvitaṁ vṛkṣaṁ kāśyapena mahātmanā। uvāca takṣako brahmannetadatyadbhutaṁ tvayi ॥1-39-11॥
Upon seeing the tree brought to life by the great sage Kashyapa, Takshaka remarked, 'O Brahman, this is truly astonishing in you.'
viprendra yad viṣaṃ hanyā mama vā madvidhasya vā। kaṃ tvam artham abhiprepsur yāsi tatra tapodhana ॥1-39-12॥
O chief of the twice-born, what poison do you intend to destroy, mine or of one like me, or for what purpose are you going there, O sage?
yatte'bhilaṣitaṃ prāptuṃ phalaṃ tasmānnṛpottamāt। ahameva pradāsyāmi tatte yadyapi durlabham ॥1-39-13॥
I will grant you the desired reward from the best of kings, even though it is difficult to obtain.
vipraśāpābhibhūte ca kṣīṇāyuṣi narādhipe| ghaṭamānasya te vipra siddhiḥ saṃśayitā bhavet ॥1-39-14॥
O Brahmin, in the king who is overcome by a Brahmin's curse and whose lifespan is diminished, your success would be doubtful as he strives.
tato yaśaḥ pradīptaṃ te triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam। viraśmiriva gharmāṃśurantardhānamito vrajet ॥1-39-15॥
Then your fame, which is bright and well-known in the three worlds, should vanish from here like the rays of the sun.
kāśyapa uvāca॥
Kashyapa spoke:
dhanārthī yāmyahaṃ tatra tanme ditsa bhujaṅgama। tato'haṃ vinivartiṣye gṛhāyoragasattama ॥1-39-16॥
I am seeking wealth and I go there, O serpent, give me that. Then, O best of serpents, I will return home.
takṣaka uvāca॥
Takshaka spoke:
yāvaddhanaṃ prārthayase tasmādrājñastato'dhikam। ahaṃ te'dya pradāsyāmi nivartasva dvijottama ॥1-39-17॥
I will give you more wealth today than you desire from the king. Please return, O best of the twice-born.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
takṣakasya vacaḥ śrutvā kāśyapo dvijasattamaḥ। pradadhyau sumahātejā rājānaṃ prati buddhimān ॥1-39-18॥
Upon hearing Takshaka's words, the wise Kashyapa, best among the twice-born, contemplated with great energy about the king.
divyajñānaḥ sa tejasvī jñātvā taṃ nṛpatiṃ tadā। kṣīṇāyuṣaṃ pāṇḍaveyamapāvartata kāśyapaḥ ॥1-39-19॥
Kashyapa, possessing divine knowledge and radiance, realized that the king was short-lived and then turned away from the son of Pandu.
labdhvā vittaṃ munivarastakṣakādyāvadīpsitam ॥1-39-19॥
The best of sages obtained the desired wealth from Takshaka.
nivṛtte kāśyape tasminsamayena mahātmani। jagāma takṣakastūrṇaṃ nagaraṃ nāgasāhvayam ॥1-39-20॥
After Kashyapa, the revered sage, had left, Takshaka swiftly proceeded to the city known as Nagasahvaya.
atha śuśrāva gacchans takṣako jagatīpatim। mantrāgadairviṣaharai rakṣyamāṇaṃ prayatnataḥ ॥1-39-21॥
Then, as Takshaka was on his way, he heard that the king was being carefully protected by spells and antidotes against poison.
sa cintayāmāsa tadā māyāyogena pārthivaḥ। mayā vañcayitavyo'sau ka upāyo bhavediti ॥1-39-22॥
Then he thought, using his power of illusion, 'How can I deceive the king? What strategy should I employ?'
tatastāpasarūpeṇa prāhiṇotsa bhujaṅgamān। phalapatroodakaṃ gṛhya rājñe nāgo'tha takṣakaḥ ॥1-39-23॥
Then, disguised as a sage, he sent the serpents. Takshaka, the serpent, took fruit, leaves, and water and went to the king.
takṣaka uvāca॥
Takshaka spoke:
gacchadhvaṁ yūyamavyagrā rājānaṁ kāryavattayā| phalapatroda kaṁ nāma pratigrāhayituṁ nṛpam ॥1-39-24॥
Go calmly and diligently to the king to offer him the traditional gifts of fruit, leaves, and water.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
te takṣakasamādiṣṭāstathā cakrurbhujaṅgamāḥ। upaninyustathā rājñe darbhānāpaḥ phalāni ca ॥1-39-25॥
The serpents, following Takshaka's orders, acted accordingly. They brought sacred grass, water, and fruits to the king.
tacca sarvaṃ sa rājendraḥ pratijagrāha vīryavān। kṛtvā ca teṣāṃ kāryāṇi gamyatāmityuvāca tān ॥1-39-26॥
The powerful king accepted all of that. After completing their tasks, he told them, "You may leave now."
gateṣu teṣu nāgeṣu tāpasacchadmarūpiṣu। amātyānsuhṛdaścaiva provāca sa narādhipaḥ ॥1-39-27॥
After the serpents disguised as ascetics had left, the king spoke to his ministers and friends.
bhakṣayantu bhavanto vai svādūnīmāni sarvaśaḥ। tāpasairupanītāni phalāni sahitā mayā ॥1-39-28॥
"Please, you all should eat these delicious fruits completely, which have been brought by the ascetics along with me."
tato rājā sasacivaḥ phalānyādātumaicchat. yadgṛhītaṃ phalaṃ rājñā tatra kṛmirabhūdaṇuḥ ॥ hrasvakaḥ kṛṣṇanayanastāmro varṇena śaunaka ॥1-39-29॥
Then the king, accompanied by his minister, wished to take the fruits. In the fruit taken by the king, there appeared a small worm, short in stature, with black eyes and copper-colored, O Śaunaka.
sa taṃ gṛhya nṛpaśreṣṭhaḥ sacivānidamabravīt। astamabhyeti savitā viṣādadya na me bhayam ॥1-39-30॥
The king, having taken that, addressed his ministers, saying: 'The sun is setting; today I feel neither sorrow nor fear.'
satyavāgastu sa muniḥ kṛmiko māṃ daśatvayam। takṣako nāma bhūtvā vai tathā parihṛtaṃ bhavet ॥1-39-31॥
The sage, who is a truth-speaker, should become a worm and bite me. By becoming known as Takshaka, it may indeed be avoided.
te cai nam anvavartanta mantriṇaḥ kālacoditāḥ। evam uktvā sa rājendro grīvāyāṃ saṃniveśya ha ॥ kṛmikaṃ prāhasattūrṇaṃ mumūrṣur naṣṭacetanaḥ ॥1-39-32॥
The ministers, realizing the time had come, followed him. After speaking thus, the king placed a worm on his neck and laughed quickly, as he was on the verge of death and unconscious.
hasanneva ca bhogena takṣakeṇābhiveṣṭitaḥ। tasmātphalādviniṣkramya yattadrājñe niveditam ॥1-39-33॥
Laughing, he was surrounded by the enjoyment of Takshaka. Therefore, having emerged from the fruit, he informed the king of what had happened.
