सौतिरुवाच एतत्ते कथितं सर्वममृतं मथितं तथा। यत्र सोऽश्वः समुत्पन्नः श्रीमानतुलविक्रमः॥
Sauti said : Thus have I narrated to you how the Ambrosia was churned out of the Ocean, in which the beautiful and powerful horse (Uchchaishrava) was produced.
यं निशम्य तदा कदूर्विनतामिदमब्रवीत्। उच्चैःश्रवा हि किं वर्णो भद्रे प्रब्रूहि मा चिरम्॥
Beholding this horse Kadru asked Vinata, saying, “Tell me, sister, without delay, what is the colour of Uchchaishrava?”
विनतोवाच श्वेत एवाश्वराजोऽयं किं वा त्वं मन्यसे शुभे। ब्रूहि वर्णं त्वमप्यस्य ततोऽत्र विपणावहे॥
Vinata said: This king of the horses is of white colour. What colour do you think, sister? Say what is its colour; let us lay a wager on it.
कदूरुवाच कृष्णवालमहं मन्ये हयमेनं शुचिस्मिते। एहि सार्धं मया दीव्य दासीभावाय भामिनि॥
Kadru said : O sweet lady of smiles, I think the horse is black in its tail. Let us lay this wager that she, whose words will be untrue, will become the slave of the other.
सौतिरुवाच एवं ते समयं कृत्वा दासीभावाय वै मिथः। जग्मतुः स्वगृहानेव श्वो द्रक्ष्याव इति स्म ह॥
Sauti said: Thus wagering that one will be the slave of the other, they went home, saying "We shall see the horse tomorrow."
ततः पुत्रसहस्रं तु कर्जिा चिकीर्षती। आज्ञापयामास तदा वाला भूत्वाचनप्रभाः॥
Wishing to play a deception, Kadru ordered her thousand sons to be black hair;
आविशध्वं हयं क्षिप्रं दासी न स्यामहं यथा। नावपद्यन्त ये वाक्यं ताशशाप भुजंगमान्॥
And speedily cover the horse's tail so that she might not become a slave. But on their refusal to do her bidding. She cursed the snakes, saying,
सर्पसत्रे वर्तमाने पावको वः प्रधक्ष्यति। जनमेजयस्य राजर्षेः पाण्डवेयस्य धीमतः॥
"In the Snake-sacrifice of the royal sage, wise Janamejaya of the Pandava race Agni will consume you all.
शापमेनं तु शुश्राव स्वयमेव पितामहः। अतिक्रूरं समुत्सृष्टं कवा दैवादतीव हि॥
The Grandsire (Brahma) himself heard this exceedingly cruel curse, denounced by Kadru, impelled by Fate.
सार्धं देवगणैः सर्वैर्वाचं तामन्वमोदत। बहुत्वं प्रेक्ष्य सर्पाणां प्रजानां हितकाम्यया॥
And he (Brahma), out of kindness for creatures and seeing that the snakes had enormously multiplied, approved of this curse with all the deities.
तिग्मवीर्यविषा होते दन्दशूका महाबलाः। तेषां तीक्ष्णविषत्वाद्धि प्रजानां च हिताय च॥ युक्तं मात्रा कृतं तेषां परपीडोपसर्पिणाम्। अन्येषामपि सत्त्वानां नित्यं दोषपरास्तु ये॥
"Considering their virulent poison, excessive strength, great prowess, biting propensity, their mother's curse had been very proper for the good of all creatures.
तेषां प्राणान्तिकी दण्डो दैवेन विनिपात्यते। एवं संभाष्य देवस्तु पूज्य कदूं च तां तदा॥
“Fate always inflicts death on those who seek the death of others.” Talking thus, the celestials much praised Kadru.
आहूय कश्यपं देव इदं वचनमब्रवीत्। यदेते दन्दशूकाश्च सर्पा जातस्त्वयानघ॥ विषोल्बणा महाभोगा मात्रा शप्ताः परंतप। तत्र मन्युस्त्वया तात न कर्तव्यः कथंचन॥
Then calling Kashyapa, the Deity said. “O sinless one, O powerful one, the snakes of virulent poison, of huge bodies and of biting propensity whom you have begotten have been cursed by their mother. O child, you should not be angry with her.
दृष्टं पुरातनं ह्येतद्यज्ञे सर्पविनाशनम्। इत्युक्त्वा सृष्टिकृदेवस्तं प्रसाद्य प्रजापतिम्। प्रादाद्विषहरी विद्यां कश्यपाय महात्मने॥
The destruction of the snakes in the sacrifice (of Janamejaya) has been told in the Purana.” Saying this, the Divine creator of the Universe propitiated Kashyapa and bestowed on the knowledge of neutralising poison. that great man