engaged in the Agni-hotra (Fire-sacrifice), I made a mock snake of blades
of grass, and in a frolic attempted to frighten him with it. And anon he
fell into a swoon. On recovering his senses, that truth-telling and
vow-observing ascetic, burning with wrath, exclaimed, 'Since thou hast
made a powerless mock snake to frighten me, thou shalt be turned even
into a venomless serpent thyself by my curse.' O ascetic, I well knew the
power of his penances; therefore with an agitated heart, I addressed him
thus, bending low with joined hands, 'Friend, I did this by way of a
joke, to excite thy laughter. It behoveth thee to forgive me and revoke
thy curse.' And seeing me sorely troubled, the ascetic was moved, and he
replied, breathing hot and hard. 'What I have said must come to pass.
Listen to what I say and lay it to thy heart. O pious one! when Ruru the
pure son of Pramati, will appear, thou shall be delivered from the curse
the moment thou seest him. Thou art the very Ruru and the son of Pramati.
On regaining my native form, I will tell thee something for thy good.

"And that illustrious man and the best of Brahmanas then left his
snake-body, and attained his own form and original brightness. He then
addressed the following words to Ruru of incomparable power, 'O thou
first of created beings, verily the highest virtue of man is sparing the
life of others. Therefore a Brahmana should never take the life of any
creature. A Brahmana should ever be mild. This is the most sacred
injunction of the Vedas. A Brahmana should be versed in the Vedas and
Vedangas, and should inspire all creatures with belief in God. He should
be benevolent to all creatures, truthful, and forgiving, even as it is
his paramount duty to retain the Vedas in his memory. The duties of the
Kshatriya are not thine. To be stern, to wield the sceptre and to rule
the subjects properly are the duties of the Kshatriya. Listen, O Ruru, to
the account of the destruction of snakes at the sacrifice of Janamejaya
in days of yore, and the deliverance of the terrified reptiles by that
best of Dwijas, Astika, profound in Vedic lore and might in spiritual
energy.'"

And so ends the eleventh section of the Pauloma Parva of the Adi Parva.

SECTION XII

(Pauloma Parva continued)

"Sauti continued, 'Ruru then asked, 'O best of Dwijas, why was king
Janamejaya bent upon destroying the serpents?--And why and how were they
saved by the wise Astika? I am anxious to hear all t