Chapter 51

‘Sauti said, ‘King Janamejaya having said so, his ministers expressedtheir approbation. And the monarch then expressed his determination toperform a snake-sacrifice.

And that lord of the Earth–that tiger of theBharata race–the son of Parikshit, then called his priest and Ritwiks.And accomplished in speech, he spake unto them these words relating tothe accomplishment of his great task. ‘I must avenge myself on the wretchTakshaka who killed my father. Tell me what I must do. Do you know anyact by which I may cast into the blazing fire the snake Takshaka with hisrelatives? I desire to burn that wretch even as he burnt, of yore, by thefire of his poison, my father.’

‘The chief priest answered, ‘There is, O king, a great sacrifice for theedevised by the gods themselves. It is known as the snake-sacrifice, andis read of in the Puranas. O king, thou alone canst accomplish it, and noone else. Men versed in the Puranas have told us, there is such asacrifice.’

“Sauti continued, ‘Thus addressed, the king, O excellent one, thoughtTakshaka to be already burnt and thrown into the blazing mouth of Agni,the eater of the sacrificial butter. The king then said unto thoseBrahmanas versed in mantras, ‘I shall make preparations for thatsacrifice. Tell me the things that are necessary.’ And the king’sRitwiks, O excellent Brahmana, versed in the Vedas and acquainted withthe rites of that sacrifice measured, according to the scriptures, theland for the sacrificial platform. And the platform was decked withvaluable articles and with Brahmanas. And it was full of precious thingsand paddy. And the Ritwika sat upon it at ease. And after the sacrificialplatform had been thus constructed according to rule and as desired, theyinstalled the king at the snake-sacrifice for the attainment of itsobject. And before the commencement of the snake-Sacrifice that was tocome, there occurred this very important incident foreboding obstructionto the sacrifice. For when the sacrificial platform was beingconstructed, a professional builder of great intelligence and well-versedin the knowledge of laying foundations, a Suta by caste, well-acquaintedwith the Puranas, said, ‘The soil upon which and the time at which themeasurement for the sacrificial platform has been made, indicate thatthis sacrifice will not be completed, a Brahmana becoming the reasonthereof.’ Hearing this, the king, before his installation, gave orders tohis gate-keepers not to admit anybody without his knowledge.”