Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/194

160 That which thou askest shall we all cheerfully do, O nephew! And those also that recall to their minds Asita, Artiman, and Sunitha, in the day or in the night, shall have no fear of snakes. He again shall have no fear of snakes who will say,—I recall to my mind the famous Astika born of Jaratkaru by Jaratkaru, that Astika who saved the snakes from the snakes-sacrifice, therefore, ye snakes of great good fortune, it behoveth ye not to bite me, but go ye away, blessed be ye, or go away thou snake of virulent poison, and remember the words of Astika after the snake-sacrifice of Janamejay.—That snake who does not cease from biting after hearing such mention of Astika, shall have his hood divided a hundred-fold like the fruit of the shingsha tree.

Sauti continued, "That first of Brahmanas, thus addressed by the foremost of the chief snakes assembled together, was very much gratified. And the high-souled one then set his heart upon going away.

"And that best of Brahmanas, having saved the snakes from the snake-sacrifice, ascended to heaven when his time came, leaving sons and grandsons behind him.

"Thus have I recited to thee this history of Astika exactly as it happened. Indeed, the recitation of this history dispelleth all fear of snakes."

Sauti continued, "O Brahmana, thou foremost of the Bhrigu race, as thy ancestor Pramati had cheerfully narrated it to his inquiring son Ruru, and as I had heard it, thus have I recited this blessed history, from the beginning, of the learned Astika! And, O Brahmana, thou oppressor of all enemies, having heard this holy history of Astika that increaseth virtue, and which thou hadst asked me about after hearing the story of the Dundubha, let thy ardent curiosity be satisfied!"

And thus ends the fifty-eighth Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.