Shloka 4
सर्पसत्रे हुतानां नागानां नामपरिगणनम् | Enumeration of Nāgas Consumed in the Sarpasatra Fire
ततः सर्पा: समापेतु: प्रदीप्ते हव्यवाहने । विचेष्टमाना: कृपणमाह्नयन्त: परस्परम्,तत्पश्चात् सर्पगण तड़फड़ाते और दीनस्वरमें एक-दूसरेको पुकारते हुए प्रज्वलित अग्निमें टपाटप गिरने लगे
tataḥ sarpāḥ samāpetuḥ pradīpte havyavāhane | viceṣṭamānāḥ kṛpaṇam āhnayantaḥ parasparam ||
Then the serpents rushed together toward the blazing fire. Writhing helplessly, they cried out piteously to one another as they fell, one after another, into the kindled flames—an image of the ruin that follows when a community is caught in the momentum of a sacrificial act driven by vengeance rather than restraint.
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical danger of actions propelled by vengeance: even when framed as a ritual, unchecked anger can produce widespread suffering, inviting reflection on restraint (dama) and compassion as safeguards of dharma.
During the snake-sacrifice (sarpa-satra), the nāgas are drawn toward the consecrated fire; they writhe and cry out to one another as they fall into the blazing flames, showing the sacrifice’s escalating and devastating effect.