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Notes
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the gods as a bribe to save them from the disaster. V. L. Oferuiaक्को, where the word उक्कोअ - उत्कोच means a bribe'.
474. Huge, black snakes tried to wriggle and worm out their way through the coiling holes underground. They thus looked like the earth's curly locks of hair, straightened in her bewilderment, as she moved away in fear.
475. Through panic (HHT) many of the snakes became afflicted (31737) with premature old age and, afraid of being quickly burnt, if the old sloughs (forrastat) were retained on their bodies, they hurriedly cast them off.
476. The snakes were being continuously (37f37) thrown in the fire, producing coiling columns of smoke, that rose up in the sky. The whole scene of the sky and the earth below was one huge mass of smoke and it, therefore, appeared that even the nether world, along with the sky up above, became one huge, offering (1271831705637), being given over in the sacrificial fire of the king Janamejaya.
477. The lordly snakes put out their tongues oftere in excitement. The clusters of tongues sprouted, spread out and throbbed constantly and, red, as they were, they looked like fireflames, which were swallowed by the snakes.
478. The noisy ((Ham) fire-flames, swinging (31GSART) with the hissing breaths (PTT) of the burning snakes, made it appear that the fire itself was giving out heavy sighs, feeling giddy and reeling (धुम्मिर), because of the adverse toxic effect (अणुभाव) of the poison of snakes.
479. The cobra females fell into the blazing fire, being closely accompanied (9f83ff1737T) by the red flashes of gems, situated on their red, expanding (fautft) hoods. It looked as if they were immolating themselves in the fire, wearing the red sign (FETE) of a 'Sati' (TCHOUT), in the form of the red Kumkum decoration on their foreheads.
480. The female cobras entwine the fire-flames unaffected (furfcasti), although formerly they were habituated to embrace (परिरंभ) the golden twigs (कणअदंड) of the blossoming Haricandana sandal trees.
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