Shloka 1
Āstīka Stops the Sarpa-satra; Royal Closure and Protective Phalaśruti (आस्तीकः सर्पसत्रनिवर्तनम्)
ऑपन-मा जल बछ। डे त्रिपञज्चाशत्तमो<ड्ध्याय: सर्पयज्ञके ऋत्विजोंकी नामावली, सर्पोंका भयंकर विनाश, तक्षकका इन्द्रकी शरणमें जाना तथा ७ अपनी बहिनसे आस्तीकको यज्ञमें भेजनेके कहना शौनक उवाच सर्पसत्रे तदा राज्ञ: पाण्डवेयस्य धीमत: । जनमेजयस्य के त्वासन्नृत्विज: परमर्षय:,शौनकजीने पूछा--सूतनन्दन! पाण्डववंशी बुद्धिमानू राजा जनमेजयके उस सर्पयज्ञमें कौन-कौनसे महर्षि ऋत्विज् बने थे?
śaunaka uvāca | sarpasatre tadā rājñaḥ pāṇḍaveyasya dhīmataḥ | janamejayasya ke tv āsann ṛtvijaḥ paramarṣayaḥ ||
Śaunaka asked: “O son of Sūta, at that time, in the snake-sacrifice of the wise Pāṇḍava-descended king Janamejaya, which great sages served as the officiating priests (ṛtviks)?”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds disciplined inquiry into dharma and ritual: before judging a great act like Janamejaya’s snake-sacrifice, one must know its authorized agents (ṛtviks) and context, since ritual power and moral responsibility are mediated through qualified sages and proper procedure.
In the frame dialogue at Naimiṣa, Śaunaka asks the narrator (Sauti) to identify the great sages who served as officiating priests in King Janamejaya’s snake-sacrifice, setting up the subsequent listing of priests and the unfolding account of the sacrifice.