that sacrifice will not take place l' Other serpents who conceived themselves wise, said, 'Approaching the king, let us bite him, so that our object will be accomplished. By his death the root of all evil will be torn up. This is the final deliberation of us all, O thou who bearest with thy eyes! Then, do that speedily what thou deemest proper ! Having said this, they looked intently at Vasuki, that best of snakes. And. Vasuki also, after reflecting, answered the snakes, saying. --'Ye snakes, this final determination of you all doth not seem worthy of adoption 1 The advice of you all is not to my liking! What shall I say which would be for your good ? I think the grace of the illustrious Kasyapa (our father) can alone do us good ; Ye snakes, my heart doth not know which of all your suggestions is to be adopted for the welfare of my race as also of mine! That must be done by me which would be to your weal! It is this that makes me so anxious, for the credit or the discredit (of the measure) is mine alone!'"
So ends the thirty-seventh section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.
SECTION XXXVIII
(Astika Parva continued)
Sauti said,-'Hearing the respective speeches of all the snakes, and hearing also the words of Vasuki, Elapatra began to address them, saying, "That sacrifice is not one that it can be prevented. Nor is king Janamejaya or the Pandava race from whom this fear proceedeth, such that he can be hindered! The person, o king, who is a afflicted by fate bath recourse to fate alone; nothing else can be his refuge: Ye best of snakes, this fear of ours hath fate for its root! Fate alone must be our refuge in this ! Listen to what I say I When that curse was uttered, ye best of snakes, in feat I lay crouching on the lap of our mother. Ye best of snakes, and o lord (Vasuki) of great splendour, from that place I heard the words the sorrowing gods spake unto the Grandsire ! The gods said, 'O Grandsire, thou god of gods, who else than the cruel Kadru could thus, after getting such dear children, curse them so, even in thy presence? And, O Grandsire, by thee also bath been spoken, with reference to those words of hers, 'Be it so.' We wish to know the reason why thou didst not prevent her!' Brahman replied, 'The snakes have multiplied. They are cruel, terrible in form and highly poisonous. From desire of the good of my creatures, I did not prevent Kadru then. Those poisonous serpents and others who are
