सौतिरुवाच ततः कर्म प्रववृते सर्पसत्रविधानतः। पर्यक्रामंश्च विधिवत्स्वे स्वे कर्मणि याजकाः॥ प्रावृत्य कृष्णवासांसि धूमसंरक्तलोचनाः। जुहुवुमन्त्रवच्चैव समिद्धं जातवेदसम्॥
Sauti said : The Snake-sacrifice then began in due form. The sacrificial priests, expert in their respective duties according to the ordinance, their bodies with black garments and their eyes red from the smoke, poured ghee in the blazing fire, uttering the Mantras.
कम्पयन्तश्च सर्वेषामुरगाणां मनांसि च। सर्पानाजुहुवुस्तत्र सर्वानग्निमुखे तदा॥
Making the hearts of all the snakes tremble in fear, they began to pour ghee in the mouth of the Agni, uttering the names of the snakes.
ततः सर्पाः समापेतुः प्रदीप्ते हव्यवाहने। विचेष्टमानाः कृपणमाह्वयन्तः परस्परम्॥
Thereupon the snakes fell into the blazing fire one after another, each be-numbed and calling piteously to one another.
विस्फुरन्तः स्वसन्तश्च वेष्टयन्तः परस्परम्। पुच्छैः शिरोभिश्च भृशं चित्रभानु प्रपेदिरे॥
Breathing hard, swelling to enormous sizes, intwining one another with their heads and tails, they came in large numbers and fell into the blazing fire.
श्वेताः कृष्णाश्च नीलाश्च स्थविराः शिशवस्तथा। नदन्तो विविधान्नादान्पेतुर्दीप्ते विभावसौ॥ क्रोशयोजनमात्रा हि गोकर्णस्य प्रमाणतः। पतन्त्यजस्रवेगेन वन्हावग्निमतांवर॥
The white, the black, the blue, the old and the young, those measuring a crosa those measuring a Yojana and those measuring a Gokarna, all fell violently into that blazing fire uttering various cries.
एवं शतसहस्राणि प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च। अवशानि विनष्टानि पन्नगानां तु तत्र वै॥
Hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands came be-numbed and perished on that occasion.
तुरगा इव तत्रान्ये हस्तिहस्ता इवापरे। मत्ता इव च मातङ्गा महाकाया महाबलाः॥
Amongst those that perished, there were some that were like the horses, some like the trunks of elephants and others with the huge bodies and strength of mad elephants.
उच्चावचाश्च बहवो नानावर्णा विषोल्बणाः। घोराश्च परिघप्रख्या दन्दशूका महाबलाः। प्रपेतुरग्नावुरगा मातृवाग्दण्डपीडिताः॥
The snakes of various colours and of virulent poison, of terrible look, like maces furnished with iron spikes, of enormous strength and of the greatest biting propensity, fell into the fire as the result of their mother's curse.