Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/44

38 wealth than all the treasures of King Parikshit. Kashyapa turned homewards and the snake prince journeyed towards Hastinapura. But when he drew near to Parikshit's palace he saw that it was useless openly to seek an entry, so close was the guard set round the pillar and so tightly was its single door fastened. Calling to the snakes who were his attendants he turned them into Brahmans. And giving them baskets of fruits and flowers bade them go the palace as holy men who wished to make offerings to King Parikshit the Bharata. When they had reached the palace the guards permitted them as holy men to enter it and offer the king their basket of fruits and flowers. He graciously accepted the offering. But inside one of the fruits Prince Takshaka lay hidden in the form of a tiny insect. And when the king began to eat the fruits, he chose first the very one in which the snake prince lay concealed. As the king ate he saw the tiny insect. Then he said to his ministers, "This is the seventh day and it is near sunset. I no longer fear the poison of Prince Takshaka. But I repent of the wrong that I did to the rishi Samika. So to atone for my sin I shall let this tiny insect bite me." With these words he placed the tiny insect on his forehead. With a fearful roar prince Takshaka re-assumed his proper shape and fastening his mighty coils round king Parikshit drove his fangs in the kings face so that he died instantly. And such was the terrible strength of the poison that it passed through the king's body and entering the floor of the palace consumed it, as if it had been destroyed by fire. Many of the king's attendants perished, but others fled. And as they fled they saw the giant form of prince Takshaka coursing through the sky, as he went swiftly from Hastinapura.