सौतिरुवाच ते तथा मन्त्रिणो दृष्ट्वा भोगेन परिवेष्टितम्। विषण्णवदनाः सर्वे रुरुदुर्भृशदुःखिताः॥
Sauti said. The ministers, seeing their king in the coils of Takshaka, became pale with fear and they wept in great grief.
तं तु नादं ततः श्रुत्वा मन्त्रिणस्ते प्रदुद्रुवुः। अपश्यन्त तथा यान्तमाकाशे नागमद्भुतम्॥ सीमन्तमिव कुर्वाणं नभसः पद्मवर्चसम्। तक्षकं पन्नगश्रेष्ठं भृशं शोकपरायणाः॥
Hearing the roars of Takshaka the ministers all fled. And as they were running away, they saw the king of the snakes the wonderful serpent Takshaka, going away through the sky like a streak with the colour of the lotus. His coursing through the sky looked like the vermillion line in the middle of the dark masses of a lady's hair.
ततस्तु ते तद्गृहग्निना वृतं प्रदीप्यमानं विषजेन भोगिनः। भयात्परित्यज्य दिश: प्रपेदिरे पपात राजाऽशनिताडितो यथा॥
The palace, in which the king was living, blazed up with the poison of the snake. The ministers left it and fled in fear and the king fell down if struck by lightning.
ततो नृपे तक्षकतेजसा हते प्रयुज्य सर्वाः परलोकसत्क्रियाः। शुचिर्द्विजो राजपुरोहितस्तदा तथैव ते तस्य नृपस्य मन्त्रिणः॥
When thus the king fell with the poison of Takshaka, the ministers, with the royal priest and holy Brahmanas performed all his last rites.
नृपं शिशुं तस्य सुतं प्रचक्रिरे समेत्य सर्वे पुरवासिनो जनाः। नृपं यमाहुस्तममित्रघातिनं कुरु प्रवीरं जनमेजयं जनाः॥
All the citizens of the capital met together and placed the young son of the deceased king on the throne. They called that chastiser of foes, the hero of the Kuru race, Janamejaya.
स बाल एवार्यमतिर्नृपोत्तमः सहैव तैर्मन्त्रिपुरोहितैस्तदा। शशास राज्यं कुरपुंगवाग्रजो यशाऽस्य वीरः प्रपितामहस्तथा॥
That best of kings, Janamejaya, though he was but a boy, was very intelligent and wise. With his ministers and priest, the eldest son of Parikshit, the best of the Kuru race, ruled his kingdom [as powerfully and well] as his grandfather (Yudhishthira)
ततस्तु राजनममित्रतापनं समीक्ष्य ते तस्य नृपस्य मन्त्रिणः। सुवर्णवर्माणमुपेत्य काशिपं वपुष्टमार्थं वरयांप्रचक्रमुः॥
Seeing that the young king could now keep his enemies in check, his ministers, went to Suvarnavarmana, the king of Kashi and asked him to give his daughter, Vapushtama in marriage with him.
ततः स राजा प्रददौ वपुष्टमां कुरुप्रवीराय परीक्ष्य धर्मतः। स चापि तां प्राप्य मुदायुतोऽभवन् न चान्यनारीषु मनोदधे क्वचित्॥
The king of Kashi, after due enquiries bestowed with ordained rights his daughter Vapushtama on the mighty hero of the Kuru race. And he too was exceedingly happy to get her. He did not give his heart to any other women at any time.
सरःसु फुल्लेषु वनेषु चैव प्रसन्नचेता विजहार वीर्यवान्। तथा स राजन्यवरो विजह्रिवान् यथोर्वशी प्राप्य पुरा पुरूरवाः॥
The greatly powerful hero roamed happily in pursuit of pleasures in lakes, in woods and in flowery fields. He passed his time in pleasure as Pururava of olden time did on receiving Urvashi.
वपुष्टमा चापि वरं पतिव्रता प्रतीतरूपा समवाप्य भूपतिम्। भावेन रामा रमयांबभूव विहारकालेष्ववरोधसुन्दरी॥
When he thus passed his days in pursuit of pleasure, ever-renowned for her beauty, devoted to her husband, the fairest of the fair, Vapushtama, having gained a desirable husband, pleased him with the excess of her love.