Lakshman Rao U
In the great narration of the sage Ugraśravāsa, the origins of incarnations—celestial, ghostly, and demonic—are revealed in wondrous order. In the Yadu lineage was born Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the first-born of the universe, son of Vasudeva and Devakī, the incarnation of Viṣṇu himself. Alongside him descended Śeṣa, who, to destroy ruthless demons such as Pralamba, took…
In the age of kings and sages, Vasu, the righteous monarch, performed the grand festival of Indra with such splendour that the Lord of Heaven himself descended in joy. Indra, gratified by his devotion, bestowed upon him a celestial chariot capable of soaring across the skies. From that day, the king often traversed the realms…
The venerable narrator Ugrasrava unfolds the sacred chain of events with dignity and order. King Janamejaya, son of Parikshit, brought the serpent-sacrifice to a halt without transgressing the etiquette of ritual, yet with a noble spirit he bestowed abundant gifts and charities upon priests, assistants, and invitees. With folded hands, he then turned to the…
When King Janamejaya learned from Sage Udanka that his father Parikshit had perished by the venomous bite of the serpent Takshaka, he summoned his ministers. He demanded to know how so grievous a calamity had come to pass. The ministers recounted in solemn words the noble lineage of his father, scion of dharma, son of…
By fate’s decree, the serpent race was denied the nectar of immortality; their near grasp of Amrta slipped away, and in that loss the worlds were preserved. Among them, the noble Ādiśeṣa, wearied of his mother’s wrath and his brothers’ misdeeds, departed in despair. He left them behind, mounting Gandhamādana and wandering to holy shrines—Gokarṇa,…
In ages primeval, when destiny wove its complex patterns, Kadru and Vinata, the two wives of sage Kashyapa, entered into a wager that would stake their very freedom. The contest concerned the celestial horse Ucchaihśravas, born of the churning of the ocean. Returning home, Kadru summoned her serpent sons and commanded them to coil around…
In ancient lore, the sage Ruru, descended from the venerable line of Bhrigu, was consumed with anger against the serpent race, for it was by a snake’s bite that his beloved, Pramadvara, had fallen. Though by divine grace she was restored to life, the memory of that sorrow haunted him, and his heart grew fierce….
The sages of Naimisa, seated in quiet reverence, turned to Souti and said: “O noble Souti, you who walk upon the clear path of truth, tell us how it came to be that the serpents, possessed of fiery venom and fearful might, were cast into the flames of the great sacrifice performed by King Janamejaya….
During the reign of King Janamejaya, there lived a sage of great austerity and unusual powers, Udanka by name, disciple of the noble Paila, who himself belonged to the line of Vyasa’s hermitage. Once, at the behest of his preceptor, Udanka set forth to the court of King Poushya to obtain from the queen a…
Honouring the appeal of the sage Śaunaka, Sauti, known as Ugraśrava, rose with reverence and said: “I shall recite the sacred events of the great Bhārata, which is the total of Vedic wisdom and the very essence of the Upanishadic guidance. The sage Vedavyāsa, in his compassion for mankind, composed this mighty epic to serve…
