This terrible punishment, capable of burning like the fire at the end of the Yuga, I shall extinguish. Nurse not thy fear any longer !"
Sauti continued.--"Then that best of Brahmanas, Astika, quelling the terrible fear of the Vasuki's heart, and taking it, as it were, on himself, wended, for the relief of the king of the snakes, with speed to Janame.. jaya's sacrifice blessed with every merit. And Astika having gone thither, beheld the excellent sacrificial compound covered with numerous Sadasyas whose splendour was like unto that of the Sun or Agni. But that best of Brahmanas was refused admittance by the door.keepers. And the mighty ascetic gratified them, being desirous of entering the sacrificial compound. And that best of Brahmanas, that foremost of all virtuous men,-having entered the excellent sacrificial compound, began to adore the king of infinite achievements, the Ritwikas, the Sadasyas, and also the sacred fire."
Thus ends the fifty-forth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.
SECTION LV
(Astika Parva continued)
Astika said,-Soma and Varuna and Prajapati performed sa critices of old in Preyaga. But thy sacrifice, O foremost one of Bharata's race, O son of Parikshit, is not inferior to any of those. Let those dear unto us be blessed! Sakra performed a hundred sacrifices. But this sacrifice of thine, O foremost one of Bharata's race, O son of Parikshit, is fully equal to ten thousand sacrifices of Sakra. Let those dear unto us be blessed! Like the sacrifice of Yama, of Harimedha, or of king Ranti. deva, is the sacrifice of thine, O foremost of Bharata's race, O son of Parikshit. Let those dear unto us be blessed! Like the sacrifice of Maya, of king Casavindu, or of king Vaistavana, in this sacrifice of thine, O foremost one of Bharata's race. O son of Parikshit. Let those dear unto us be blessed! Like the sacrifice of Nriga, of Ajamida, of the son of Dasaratha, in this sacrifice of thine, O foremost one of Bharata's race, O son of Parikshit. Let those dear unto us be blessed! Like the sacri. fice of king Yudhishthira, the son of a god and belonging to Ajamida race, heard of (even) in the heavens, in this sacrifice of thine, O foremost one of Bharata's race, O son of Parikshit. Let those dear unto us be blessed! Like the sacrifice of Krishna (Dwaipayana), the son of Satyavati, in which he himself was the chief-priest, is this sacrifice of thine, O foremost one of Bharata's race, O son of Parikshit, Let those dear unto us be blessed! These (Ricwikas and Sadasyas) that are here
