01018001a etat te sarvam AkhyAtam amRtamM mathitaM yathA 'Thus have I recited to you the whole story of how Amrita was churned out of the Ocean,
01018001c yatra so 'zvasH samutpannazH zrImAn atulavikramaH and the occasion on which the horse Uchchaihsravas of great beauty and incomparable prowess was obtained.
01018002a yanM nizAmya tadA kadrUr vinatAm idam abravIt
01018002c uccaizHzravA nu kiMvarNo bhadre jAnIhi mAciram It was this horse about which Kadru asked vinatA, saying, 'Tell me, amiable sister, without taking much time, of what colour Uchchaishravas is.'
01018003 vinatovAca And vinatA answered,
01018003a zveta evAzvarAjo 'yaGM kiM vA tvamM manyase zubhe 'That prince of steeds is certainly white. What dost thou think, sister?
01018003c brUhi varNanM tvam apy asya tato 'tra vipaNAvahe Say thou what is its colour. Let us lay a wager upon it.'
01018004 kadrUr uvAca Kadru replied, then,
01018004a kRSNavAlam ahamM manye hayam enaM zucismite 'O thou of sweet smiles. I think that horse is black in its tail.
01018004c ehi sArdhamM mayA dIvya dAsIbhAvAya bhAmini Beauteous one, bet with me that she who loseth will become the other's slave.'
01018005 sUta uvAca 'Sauti continued,
01018005a evanM te samayaGM kRtvA dAsIbhAvAya vai mithaH 'Thus wagering with each other about menial service as a slave,
01018005c jagmatusH svagRhAn eva zvo drakSyAva iti sma ha the sisters went home, and resolved to satisfy themselves by examining the horse next day.
01018006a tataH putrasahasraM tu kadrUr jihmaM cikIrSatI And Kadru, bent upon practising a deception, ordered her thousand sons
01018006c AjJApayAmAsa tadA vAlA bhUtvAJjanaprabhAH to transform themselves into black hair
01018007a AvizadhvaM hayaGM kSipranM dAsI na syAm ahaM yathA and speedily cover the horse's tail in order that she might not become a slave.
01018007c tad vAkyanM nAnvapadyanta tAJ zazApa bhujaGMgamAn But her sons, the snakes, refused to do her bidding, and she cursed them, saying,
01018008c janamejayasya rAjarSeH pANDaveyasya dhImataH 'During the snake-sacrifice of the wise king janamejaya of the pANDava race, agni shall consume you all.'
01018009a zApam enanM tu zuzrAva svayam eva pitAmahaH
01018009c atikrUraM samuddiSTaGM kadrvA daivAd atIva hi And the Grandsire (brahmA) himself heard this exceedingly cruel curse pronounced by Kadru, impelled by the fates.
01018010a sArdhanM devagaNaisH sarvair vAcanM tAm anvamodata sanctioned with all the gods this curse of Kadru,
01018010c bahutvamM prekSya sarpANAmM prajAnAM hitakAmyayA having seen that the snakes had multiplied exceedingly, moved by kind consideration for his creatures.
01018011a tigmavIryaviSA hy ete dandazUkA mahAbalAH Indeed, as the snakes were of virulent poison, great prowess and excess of strength,
01018011c teSAnM tIkSNaviSatvAd dhi prajAnAJM ca hitAya vai and ever bent on biting other creatures, their mother's conduct towards them--those persecutors of all creatures,--was very proper for the good of all creatures. Fate always inflicts punishment of death on those who seek the death of other creatures. The gods, having exchanged such sentiments with one another, supported Kadru's action (and went away).
01018011e prAdAd viSahaNIM vidyAGM kAzyapAya mahAtmane And brahma, calling Kasyapa to him, spake unto him these words, 'O thou pure one who overcomest all enemies, these snakes begotten by you, who are of virulent poison and huge bodies, and ever intent on biting other creatures, have been cursed by their mother.
