mahabharata stories

  The Suta said: “Having said this, the venerable king, approved by the ministers, took the vow of the sarpa-satra or sarpa yagna .   Brahmin! King, the son of Bharatashardula Parikshita , summoned the priests and the Ritvijas, skilled in sacrifices, and spoke these rich words:   “Tell me what I should do to take revenge on the evil spirit Takshaka, who tortured my father.   Tell me a plan by which I, along with my relatives, can drag Takshaka into the blazing fire, just as he burned my father in his poisonous fire before. I also want to burn that sinful Pannaga.”   Ritvijas said: “There is a great weapon created by the gods for you, king! This is described in the Puranas as the sarpa-satra.   King! The legends say that no one else can undertake this sacrifice except you, and we have the method to conduct it.”   The Suta said: “Hearing this, the king imagined that the serpent Takshaka was falling into a blazing fire.   ...

  The ministers said: “the king, who was hungry and tired, lifted the snake on the shoulder of that sage and returned to his city.   That sage had a son born of a cow named Shringi who was Mahayashasvi, Mahatejasvi, Tigmavirya, and short tempered.   O Janamejaya ! Kurushardula! That sage went to Brahma and worshipped him. Once, while he was returning, his friend told him about the insult he had done to his father, saying, “Your father has placed a dead snake on his shoulders!” O king! Your father had insulted that great ascetic, a sage, a virtuous, pure, a man of wondrous deeds, whose soul and limbs were radiant with penance, a man of good fortune, a man of good words, steadfast, free from attachment, unsullied, old, and bound to silence, the refuge of all beings.   Hearing this, the son of the great sage, who was a youth but great, became enraged and cursed your father.   Immediately he touched the water and, blazing with anger, addressed you...

  Shaunaka said: “Tell me again in detail what King Janamejaya heard from his ministers about his father’s heavenly destination.”   The Suta said: “Brahmin! Listen to what Nrupati heard from his ministers about the death of Parikshit and what they told him.   Janamejaya said: “You know very well what my father was like and how he died.   After hearing everything from you about my father, I will do what is beneficial. Otherwise, nothing.”   The Suta said: “Hearing the words of that great king Janamejaya, the wise ministers of all religions said:   “Your father was a righteous man, a great man, and a protector of the people. Listen to how that great man behaved.   He was loyal to his own dharma and protected the people of the four castes. The king was as pious as dharma.   He was rich and extremely brave, protecting the goddess Prithvi. He had no hatred for anyone and no one hated him. Like Prajapati , he saw everyon...

 The Suta said: “Tapodhana! After her husband left, Jaratkaru immediately went to her brother and reported everything that had happened. Hearing these words of great love, the elder Bhujagashreshtha humbled himself and said to his humble sister: “Brother! You know for what reason I gave you to him. For the benefit of the serpents, you were to have a son from him. My father had said to me earlier, when I was with the Suras , that, that brave man would save us all from the serpents. Subha! Have you conceived a child from that sage? I wish that this marriage of yours should not be in vain. It is not really right to question you in this way on this matter. However, since the matter is important, I must ask you this. I know that your ascetic husband gets angry easily. That is why I cannot go after him. He can even curse me. Bhadra! Tell me everything that happened between you and your husband and remove the terrible thorn that has been embedded in my heart for a long time.” Hearing the...

 The Suta said: “Then Vasuki said to the sage Jaratkaru : “This ascetic sister of mine bears your name. Hey bramhin! Take her as your wife. I will take care of her life. Tapodhana! I will protect her using all my powers.” After receiving assurance from the serpent that he would take care of his sister, Jaratkaru went to the serpent Vasuki's house. There, the sage, a master of magic, a great ascetic, and a great vow-observant, held her hand in accordance with the prescribed mantras . With the consent of Pannagendra , the snake he took his wife and went to the abode, where all the sages were praising him. There, Jaratkaru was sleeping with his wife on a bed decorated with precious gems. Jaratkaru made a pact with his wife: "Never do or say anything that is displeasing to me. If you do anything like that, I will leave you and never live in your house. Always keep these words of mine in your mind.” The sister of the serpent, who was very saddened by his words, vowed, “So be it.” ...

Episode 32 The Suta said: “Hearing all this, Jaratkaru became sad and said to his forefathers in a voice filled with sorrow and tears: “I am your guilty son Jaratkaru. I am a sinner. Punish me, a sinner.” The fathers said: “It is fortunate that you have come to this place after wandering around. Brahmin ! What is the reason why you have not yet obtained a wife?” Jaratkaru said: “Fathers! It has always been in my heart to reach the other world, holding my semen and carrying this body. But, fathers! Seeing you hanging like the Shakuntā birds , my mind has turned away from celibacy. I will certainly do what is dear to you - if I find a girl who bears my name, if someone comes to me voluntarily and gives her to me in the form of alms, and if I find one who I do not have to look after, I will accept her as my wife. Forefathers! Only in this way will I marry. Otherwise I will not marry. I am speaking the truth.” The Suta said: “The sage who told his fathers thus traveled the whole earth. Sh...

The Suta said: “At the same time, the great sage Jaratkaru was wandering over the entire earth, staying wherever he happened to be in the evening. He was performing tasks that even great ascetics would find impossible, and he was wandering around taking holy baths in holy places. He was starving and drying his body day after day, consuming only air. Once he saw his ancestors hanging upside down in a well. They were hanging by a single root of the veerana tree , which had been eaten and digested by the rats that lived in that very hole. Having fallen down without food and having no strength to get up, he approached the humble ones and said: “Who are you, who are hanging by this root of the veerana tree, which is weak and eaten by the rats that live in this very hole? The thread of the veerana tree that you are holding is being eaten by the rats and is slowly being torn apart. There is no doubt that you will fall headlong into this deep well. I am very sad to see you face downwards. Te...

The Suta said: “All the ministers, seeing him entangled in the serpent, were speechless, sorrowful, and wept. Hearing his wild laughter, the ministers began to flee in all directions.  As they ran in mourning, they saw that wonderful serpent, the supreme of the five-eyed serpents, Takshaka, tearing the sky, creating a line of lotus petals. The house was engulfed in flames by the venom of the serpent.  They all fled in fear, leaving the king there, who fell as if struck by lightning. Thus, after the king was killed by the brilliance of Takshaka, those noble ministers - along with the pious bramhins and the royal priests - performed all his otherworldly deeds.  All the people of the city gathered and made his young son the king. The people called Nripota, the enemy-killer of Kurupravira, Janamejaya.   Even though Janamejaya was a boy, he was wise and intelligent. With his ministers and priests, kurupravira ruled the kingdom like his heroic ancestors. Seeing tha...

  Takshak said: “Kashyapa! If you can heal anyone who has been bitten by me, then revive this tree that I am biting. "Bramhins! I will burn this banyan tree to ashes right before your eyes. Then show me your special magical power of mantras." Kashyapa said: “Nagendra! If you like, bite this tree. Bhujangama! I will make it live as you see.” The Suta said: “Having been thus spoken to by the great Kasyapa, Nagendra Pannagottama [the snake] bit the Nyagrodha tree that was there. The tree, bitten by that great snake, began to burn from all sides, absorbing the poison. The serpent, having burned the tree, said again to Kashyapa: "O Bramhin! Try your best to revive this Vanaspati." Taking all the ashes from the tree, which had been consumed by the brilliance of Pannagendra[the snake], Kashyapa spoke these words: "Pannagendra! Look! I will now bring this vanaspati to life with my power of knowledge. Watch, Bhujangam!" Then the learned Lord Dwijasattama Kashyapa ...