सौतिरुवाच सर्पाणां तु वचः श्रुत्वा सर्वेषामिति चेति च। वासुकेश्च वचः श्रुत्वा एलापत्रोऽब्रवीदिदम्॥
Sauti said: Having heard the words that fell from the snakes and also what fell from Vasuki, Elapatra addressed them thus.
न स यज्ञो न भविता न स राजा तथाविधः। जनमेजयः पाण्डवेयो यतोऽस्माकं महद्भयम्॥
"That sacrifice is not such as would be prevented and Janamejaya of the Pandava race, who is our great terror, is not such as he can be obstructed.
देवेनोपहतो राजन्यो भवेदिह पूरुषः। स दैवमेवाश्रयते नान्यत्तत्र परायणम्॥
O King, he who is afflicted by Fate, has his recourse to Fate alone. Nothing else can be his refuge.
तदिदं चैवमस्माकं भयं पन्नगसत्तमाः। दैवमेवाश्रयामोऽत्र शृणुध्वं च वचो मम॥
O best of the snakes, the root of our terror is Fate and therefore, Fate alone must be our refuge. Listen to what I say.
अहं शापे समुत्सृष्टे समश्रौषं वचस्तदा। मातुरुत्संगमारूढो भयात्पन्नगसत्तमाः॥ देवानां पन्नगश्रेष्ठास्तीक्ष्णास्तीक्ष्णा इति प्रभो। पितामहमुपागम्य दुःखार्तानां महायुते॥
O best of the snakes, when that curse was uttered, I lay in fear, crouching on my mother's lap. O best of the snakes, O Lord, O snake of great splendour, I heard from that place the sorrowing gods speaking to the Grandsire saying,
देवा ऊचुः का हि लब्ध्वा प्रियान्पुत्राञ्च्छपेदेवं पितामह। ऋते कद्दू तीक्ष्णरूपां देव देव तवाग्रतः॥
The celestials said: O Grandsire, O god of gods, who but Kadru, after getting such dear children, can curse them even in your presence!
तथेति च वचस्तस्यास्त्वयाप्युक्तं पितामह। एतदिच्छामि विज्ञातुं कारणं यन्न वारिता॥
O Grandsire, you have also said, “Be it so." We wish to know the reason why you did not prevent her,
ब्रह्मोवाच बहवः पन्नगास्तीक्ष्णा घोररूपा विषोल्बणाः। प्रजानां हितकामोऽहं न च वारितवांस्तदा।॥
Brahma said: The snakes have multiplied, they are cruel, terrible in form and deadly poisonous. I did not prevent Kadru (from uttering the curse) from the desire of doing good to all creatures.
ये दन्दशूकाः क्षुद्राश्च पापाचारा विषोल्बणाः। तेषां विनाशो भविता न तु ये धर्मचारिणः॥
The poisonous serpents that have always the biting propensity, those that bite for little faults and those who are sinful, will be destroyed, but not those that are virtuous.
यन्निमित्तं च भविता मोक्षस्तेषां महाभयात्। पन्नगानां निबोधध्वं तस्मिन्काले समागते॥
Hear, how the snakes may escape from this dreadful calamity when the time will come,
यायावरकुले धीमान्भविष्यति महानृषिः। जरत्कारुरिति ख्यातस्तपस्वी नियतेन्द्रियः॥
There will be born in the race of Yayavaras, a great Rishi, known by the name of Jaratkaru, who will be intelligent, greatly ascetic and self-controlled.
तस्य पुत्रो जरत्कारोर्भविष्यति तपोधनः। आस्तीको नाम यज्ञं स प्रतिषेत्स्यति तं तदा। तत्र मोक्ष्यन्ति भुजगा ये भविष्यन्ति धार्मिकाः॥
That Jaratkaru will have a son, named Astika, who will also be a great Rishi. He will put a stop to the Snake-sacrifice. Those snakes that will be virtuous will escape (from the Snake-sacrificial fire.)
देवा ऊचुः स मुनिप्रवरो ब्रह्मञ्जरत्कारुर्महातपाः। कस्यां पुत्रं महात्मानं जनयिष्यति वीर्यवान्।॥
The celestials said : O Brahma, in whom will Jaratkaru, the foremost of the Rishis, gifted with great powers and asceticism, beget that illustrious son?
ब्रह्मोवाच सनामायां सनामा स कन्यायां द्विजसत्तमः। अपत्यं वीर्यसंपन्नं वीर्यवाञ्जनयिष्यति॥
Brahma said: The best of Brahmanas, the greatly powerful (Jaratkaru) will beget a greatly powerful son on his wife who will bear the same name as his.
वासुकेः सर्पराजस्य जरत्कारुः स्वसा किल। स तस्यां भविता पुत्रः शापान्नागांश्च मोक्ष्यति॥
Vasuki, the king of the snakes, has a sister, named Jaratkaru: the son I speak of will be born in her womb and he will save the snakes.
एलापत्र उवाच एवमस्विति तं देवाः पितामहमथाब्रुवन्। उक्त्वैवं वचनं देवान्विरिञ्चिस्त्रिदिवं ययौ॥
Elapatra said : The celestials said to the Grandsire, "Be it so," and the lord Brahma, having said all this to the celestial went to heaven.
सोऽहमेवं प्रपश्यामि वासुके भगिनीं तव। जरत्कारुरितिख्यातां तां तस्मै प्रतिपादय॥ भैक्षवद्धिक्षमाणाय नागानां भयशान्तये। ऋषये सुव्रतायैनामेष मोक्षः श्रुतो मया।॥
O Vasuki, I see before me your that sister, known by the name of Jaratkaru. To save us from this great calamity, give her as a gift to the Rishi Jaratkaru of rigid vows, who will roam about begging for a bride. This means of our safety has been heard by me.