Shloka 2
सर्पसत्रे हुतानां नागानां नामपरिगणनम् | Enumeration of Nāgas Consumed in the Sarpasatra Fire
प्रावृत्य कृष्णवासांसि धूमसंरक्तलोचना: । जुहु॒वुर्मन्त्रवच्चैव समिद्धं जातवेदसम्,सबकी आँखें धूएँसे लाल हो रही थीं। वे सभी ऋत्विज् काले वस्त्र पहनकर मन्त्रोच्चारणपूर्वक प्रज्वलित अग्निमें होम करने लगे
prāvṛtya kṛṣṇavāsāṃsi dhūmasaṃraktalocanāḥ | juhuvur mantravac caiva samiddhaṃ jātavedasam ||
Janamejaya said: “Having wrapped themselves in black garments, their eyes reddened by the smoke, the officiating priests began to pour oblations—reciting the mantras in due form—into the blazing fire, Jātavedas.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the disciplined, rule-bound nature of Vedic action: offerings are not random acts but are performed with correct mantra and procedure. It also hints at the moral gravity of the rite through the imagery of black garments and smoke-reddened eyes, suggesting a somber, potentially harsh sacrificial intent that invites ethical reflection on how power and ritual are used.
Janamejaya describes the priests beginning the sacrificial offering: dressed in black, affected by the smoke, they chant mantras and pour oblations into the fully kindled fire identified as Agni (Jātavedas). The scene sets a tense ritual atmosphere and signals that a major sacrificial act is underway.