शौनक उवाच आख्याता भुजगास्तात वीर्यवन्तो दुरासदाः। शापं तं तेऽभिविज्ञाय कृतवन्तः किमुत्तरम्॥
Shaunaka said: O child, you have told us of many greatly powerful and unconquerable serpents. What did they do after hearing of the curse?
सौतिरुवाच तेषां तु भगवाञ्च्छेषः कदूं त्यक्त्वा महायशाः। उग्रं तपः समातस्थे वायुभक्षो यतव्रतः॥
Sauti said: Illustrious and famous Shesha, having left (his mother) Kadru, practised austere penances, living on air and rigidly observing vows.
गन्धमादनमासाद्य बदर्यां च तपोरतः। गोकर्णे पुष्करारण्ये तथा हिमवतस्तटे॥
He practised his penances, going to Gandhamadana, Badari, Gokarna, the forest of Pushkara and the foot of the Himalayas.
तेषु तेषु च पुण्येषु तीर्थेष्वायतनेषु च। एकान्तशीलो नियतः सततं विजितेन्द्रियः॥
He passed his days in these sacred places, rigidly observing his vows, completely controlling his passions and concentrating his mind.
तप्यमानं तपो घोरं तं ददर्श पितामहः। संशुष्कमांसत्वक्स्नायुं जटाचीरधरं मुनिम्॥
The Grandsire saw him with knotted hair, clad in rags, his flesh, skin and sinews dried up owing to the austere penances he was practising.
तमब्रवीत्सत्यधृतिं तप्यमानं पितामहः। किमिदं कुरुषे शेष प्रजानां स्वस्ति वै कुरु॥
The Grandsire, addressing that penancepractising ascetic, said, “O Shesha, what are you doing? let the welfare of the worlds also engage your thoughts.
त्वं हि तीव्रण तपसा प्रजास्तापयसेऽनघ। ब्रूहि कामं च मे शेष यस्ते हृदि व्यवस्थितः॥
O sinless one, you are giving pain to all creatures by your austere penances. O Shesha, tell me the desire of your mind."
शेष उवाच सोदर्या मम सर्वे हि भ्रातरो मन्दचेतसः। सह तै!त्सहे वस्तुं तद्भवाननुमन्यताम्॥
Shesha said: My brothers are all of wicked hearts. I do not wish to live with them. Kindly sanction this.
अभ्यसूयन्ति सततं परस्परममित्रवत्। ततोऽहं तप आतिष्ठं नैतान्पश्येयमित्युत॥
They are jealous of one another like great enemies. I am, therefore, engaged in penances. I shall not even see them.
न मर्षयन्ति ससुतां सततं विनतां च ते। अस्माकं चापरो भ्राता वैनतेयोऽन्तरिक्षगः॥
They never show any kindness for Vinata and her son, who is our other brother, the bird of the air.
तं च द्विषन्ति सततं स चापि बलवत्तरः। वरप्रदानात्स पितुः कश्यपस्य महात्मनः॥
They always envy him. He too is much stronger than (all of us), owing to the boon granted by our father, the illustrious and noble Kashyapa.
सोऽहं तपः समास्थाय मोक्ष्यामीदं कलेवरम्। कथं मे प्रेत्यभावेऽपि न तैः स्यात्सहसंगमः॥
Therefore, I am practising penances and I shall cast off this body of mine, so that I may not any association with them even after death.
सौतिरुवाच तमेवं वादिनं शेषं पितामह उवाच ह। जानामि शेष सर्वेषां भ्रातृणां ते विचेष्टितम्॥
Sauti said : When Shesha thus spoke, the Grandsire told him, "O Shesha, I know the character of your brothers.
मातुश्चाप्यपराधाद्वै भ्रातृणां ते महद्भयम्। कृतोऽत्र परिहारश्च पूर्वमेव भुजंगम॥
(And I know also) their great danger owing to their offence against their mother. O snake, a remedy has been already provided by me.
भ्रातृणां तव सर्वेषां न शोकं कर्तुमर्हसि। वृणीष्व च वरं मत्तः शेष यत्तेऽभिकांक्षितम्॥
You should not grieve for your brothers. O Shesha, whatever you desire to possess, ask it from me.
दास्यामि हि वरं तेऽद्य प्रीतिर्मेपरमा त्वयि। दिष्ट्या बुद्धिश्च ते धर्मे निविष्टा पन्नगोत्तम। भूयो भूयश्च ते बुद्धिर्धर्मे भवतु सुस्थिरा॥
I am highly pleased with you and I shall grant you a boon today. O best of snakes, it is very good that your heart has been set on virtue. Let your heart be more and more firmly set on virtue."
शेष उवाच एषः एव वरो देव कांक्षितो मे पितामह। धर्मे मे रमतां बुद्धिः शमे तपसि चेश्वर॥
Shesha said: Odivine Grandsire, O lord of all, I ask this boon. Let my heart always delight in virtue and in blessed penances.
ब्रह्मोवाच प्रीतोऽस्यनेन ते शेष दमेन च शमेन च। त्वया त्विदं वचः कार्यं मन्नियोगात्प्रजाहितम्॥ त्वं शेष सम्यक्
Brahma said :: O Shesha, I am highly pleased with your self-denial and love of peace. By my command let the following act be done by you for the good of all creatures.
इमां महीं शैलवनोपपन्नां ससागरग्रामविहारपत्तनाम्। चलितां यथावत् संगृह्य तिष्ठस्व यथाऽचला स्यात्॥
Bearing properly and well, this earth which is so very unsteady, towns retreats and seas, with all her mountains and forests with her O Shesha, remain in the way as she may be steady.
शेष उवाच महीपतिर्भूतपतिर्जगत्पतिः। तथा महीं धारयिताऽस्मि निश्चला प्रयच्छतां मे शिरसि प्रजापते॥
Shesha said: O divine lord of all creatures, O granter of boons, O lord of the earth,O the lord of every created thing, O the lord of the universe, I shall hold the earth steady, as you command. O Prajapati, place it upon my head.
ब्रह्मोवाच अधो महीं गच्छ भुजंगमोत्तम स्वयं तवैषा विवरं प्रदास्यति। इमां धरां धारयता त्वया हि मे महत्प्रियं शेषकृतं भविष्यति॥
Brahma said: O best of snakes, go underneath the earth. She herself will make a passage for you. O Shesha, you will certainly do what is highly valued by me by holding the earth (on your head.)
सौतिरुवाच तथैव कृत्वा विवरं प्रविश्य स प्रभुर्भुवो भुजगवराग्रजः स्थितः। बिभर्ति देवीं शिरसा महीमिमां समुद्रनेमिं परिगृह्य सर्वतः॥
Sauti said: The elder brother of the king of the snakes, entering into a hole, went to the other side of the earth. He held that goddess (earth) with her belt of seas all around her.
ब्रह्मोवाच शेषोऽसि नागोत्तम धर्मदेवो महीमिमां धारयसे यदेकः। अनन्तभोगैः परिगृह्य सर्वां यथाऽहमेवं बलभिद्यथा वा॥
Brahma said: O Shesha, O best of snakes, you are the Dharma, because you hold the earth alone with your infinite hoods, with every thing on her, what I myself and Indra can do.
सौतिरुवाच अधोभूमौ वसत्येवं नागोऽनन्तः प्रतापवान्। धारयन्वसुधामेकः शासनाद्ब्रह्मणो विभुः॥
Sauti said: Thus does the snake, Shesha, the greatly powerful lord Ananta, lives underneath the earth, alone supporting the world at the command of Brahma.
सुपर्णं च सहायं वै भगवानमरोत्तमः। प्रादादनन्ताय तदा वैनतेयं पितामहः॥
Then the Grandsire, the illustrious lord of the immortals, gave Suparna (Garuda), the son of Vinata as Ananta's help.