Shloka 5
सर्पसत्रे हुतानां नागानां नामपरिगणनम् | Enumeration of Nāgas Consumed in the Sarpasatra Fire
विस्फुरन्त: श्वसन्तश्न॒ वेष्टयन्त: परस्परम् । पुच्छे: शिरोभिश्व भृशं चित्रभानु प्रपेदिरे,वे उछलते, लम्बी साँसें लेते, पूँछ और फनोंसे एक-दूसरेको लपेटते हुए धधकती आगके भीतर अधिकाधिक संख्यामें गिरने लगे
visphurantāḥ śvasantaś ca veṣṭayantaḥ parasparam | pucchaiḥ śirobhiś ca bhṛśaṃ citrabhānuṃ prapedire ||
พวกมันกระตุกดิ้น หอบหายใจ พันรัดกันแน่นด้วยหางและแผ่แม่เบี้ย แล้วพุ่งตกลงไปเป็นอันมากในไฟจิตรภานุที่ลุกโชน
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the terrifying momentum of violence once unleashed: beings caught in a cycle of fear and retaliation suffer collectively. It implicitly cautions that ritual power used for vengeance magnifies harm, inviting reflection on restraint and compassion (dayā) as safeguards of dharma.
In the context of Janamejaya’s sarpa-satra (snake-sacrifice), serpents are being drawn toward the sacrificial fire. They writhe, gasp, and coil around each other with tails and hoods, then fall in increasing numbers into the blazing flames.