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Janamejaya's Serpent-sacrifice
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476. With the coiling columns of smoke, getting mixed up with snakes incessantly (atthia) falling (in fire-flames), the sky, too, appears to be one with ) the nether world, turned into one single oblation ( in the sacrificial fire ).
477. The great snakes, sprouting (pallavia ) with the throbbing clusters (kadappa ) of their tongues, doubly red (punarutta ) through bewilderment, appear to be angrily swallowing the flames of the (sacrificial) fire.
478. The fire, with its swinging flames, noisy on account of the hissing sounds ( sumkāra) of the multitudes of burning snakes appears to be breathing out heavy sighs, as it were, while slightly ( giddy and ) reeling through the effect of the virulent venom (of snakes).
479. The female cobras, trailed ( padiaggiā) by the red glow of jewels on their pink, spread-out hoods, drop themselves (in fire ), wearing signs of decoration, as it were, in their endeavour to die (soon) after (their mates ).
480. The snake-beauties encircle (valaamti). (in an embrace ) the fire-flames without the slightest feeling (of fear), although their bodies were (accustomed to be ) fondly caressed (in embrace) by the golden twigs of the fully-flowered Haricandana trees.
481. With his belly fully stuffed with coiled clusters of burning snakes, it looks as if the fire has his own circling entrails bloated and wriggling after his feast (on serpents ).
482. The fire-flames, multi-coloured, because of the lustre of the various types of snake-jewels, appear to be containing within them the bow of Indra (Rainbow), coming down first before Indra himself was made a sacrificial offering.
483. His feet grasped with twisted hoods by the king of snakes who came for refuge, the Lord of gods trembles ( in fear), as if mounted on the ladle dispatched (to the heaven to bring him down as an offering in the fire) by the angry king (Janamejaya).
484. Our Master stayed long on the way in the vicinity of the suburbs of the city of Srikantha, where the descendent of Pandu (Janamejaya ) performed the Serpent-sacrifice (in revenge ) for the murder of his father.
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