The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 20

Section XX. ( Astika Parva continued. )

Sauti said:—"Thus have I recited to you all about how amrita (nectar) was churned out of the Ocean, and on which occasion the horse Uchchaisrava of great beauty and in comparable prowess was obtained. It was this horse seeing whom Kadru asked Vinata, 'Tell me, amiable sister, without taking much time, of what color is Uchchaisrava?' And Vinata answered, 'that king of horses is certainly white. What dost thou think, sister? Say thou what is its color. Let us lay a wager upon it.' And Kadru replied, 'O thou of agreeable smiles, I think that horse is black in its tail. Beauteous one, bet with me that she who loseth shall be the other's slave.'"

Sauti continued, "Thus wagering with each other about menial service as a slave, the sisters went home resolved to satisfy themselves by examining the horse the next day. And Kadru bent upon practising a deception, ordered her thousand sons to transform themselves into black hair and speedily cover the horse's tail inorder that she might not become a slave. But her sons the snakes refusing to do her bidding, she cursed them, saying, 'during the snake-sacrifice of the wise king Janamejaya of the Pandava race, fire shall consume ye.' And the Grand-father (Brahma) himself heard this exceedingly cruel curse denounced by Kadru impelled by the fates. And seeing that the snakes had multiplied exceedingly, the Grand-father moved by kind consideration for his creatures sanctioned with all the gods this curse of Kadru. Indeed, of flaming poison, great prowess, excess of strength, and ever bent on biting other creatures, in consequence of such poison and for the good of all creatures the conduct of their mother towards those persecutors of all creatures was very proper. Fate always inflicts the punishment of death on those who seek the death of other creatures. The gods having exchanged such sentiments with each other then applauded Kadru (and went away.) And Brahmā calling Kasyapa to him spake unto him these words: 'O thou pure one who overcomest all enemies, these snakes of flaming poison, of huge bodies, and ever intent on biting other creatures, that thou hast begot, have been cursed by their mother. Child, do not grieve for it in the least. The destruction of the snakes in the sacrifice hath, indeed, been indicated in the Puranas.' Saying this, the divine Creator of the universe propitiated the Prajapati (Lord of creation, Kasyapa) and bestowed on that illustrious one the knowledge of neutralising poisons."

And so ends the twentieth Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.