# The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section XXXVII

Section XXXVII. ( Astika Parva continued. )
Sauti said, "That best of snakes, Vasuki, on hearing the curse of his mother, reflected how to render it abortive. Then he held a consultation with all his brothers, Airavata and all others, intent upon doing what they deemed best for themselves.
And Vasuki said, 'O ye sinless one! The object of this curse is known to ye. It behoveth us to strive to neutralise it. Remedies certainly exist for all curses, but no remedy is available to those cursed by their mother. Hearing that this curse hath been uttered in the presence of the immutable, the infinite, and the true one, my heart trembleth! Surely, this our annihilation hath come; otherwise they should no the immutable god prevent her (our mother) while uttering the curse? Therefore will we consult to-day how we may secure the safety of the snakes. Let us not waste time. All of ye are wise and discerning. We will consult together and find out the means of deliverance,—as (did) the gods of yore to regain lost Agni who had concealed himself within a cave;—so that the sacrifice of Janamejaya for the destruction of the snakes may not take place, and so that also we may not meet with discomfiture.'"
Sauti continued, "Thus addressed, all the offspring of Kadru assembled together, and wise in counsels, submitted ​their opinions to one another. One party of serpents said, 'we should assume the guise of Superior Brahmanas, and beseech Janamejaya, saying,—this (intended) sacrifice of yours ought not to take place—'. Other snakes thinking themselves wise, said, 'we should all become his favorite councellors. He shall then certainly ask for our advice in all projects. And we will then give him such advice that the sacrifice may be obstructed. The king, the foremost of wise men, thinking us of sterling worth shall certainly ask us about his sacrifice. and we shall say,—It must not be—. And pointing to many and serious evils in this and the next world with reasons and causes we should take care that the sacrifice may not take place. Or let one of the snakes approaching bite the person who intending the monarch's good, and well acquainted with the rites of the snake sacrifice, may be appointed as the sacrificial priest, so that he may die. And the sacrificial priest dying, the sacrifice shall not be completed. We shall also bite all those who, acquainted with the rites of snake sacrifice, may be appointed to Ritwijas of the sacrifice, and by that attain our object.' Other snakes, more virtuous and kind, said, 'O this counsel of yours is evil. It is not meet to kill Brahmanas. In danger, that remedy is proper which is based on the practices of the honest. Unrighteousness finally destroyeth the world.' Other serpents said, 'we shall extinguish the flaming sacrificial fire by ourselves becoming clouds luminous with lightning and pouring down showers.' Other snakes, the best of their kind proposed, 'Going by night, let us steal away the vessel of Soma juice; this will disturb the rite. Or in that sacrifice, let the snakes by hundreds and thousands bite the people, and spread terror around. Or let the serpents defile the pure food with their own food-defiling urine and dung.' Others said, 'let us become the king's Ritwijas, and obstruct his sacrifice by saying at the outset,—Give us the sacrificial fee—He (the king) being place in our power, shall do whatever we like.' Others there said, 'when the king will sport in the waters, we shall carry him to our home and bind him, so that the sacrifice may not take place.' Other serpents who conceived themselves wise, said, 'approaching him (king) let us bite the monarch, ​so that our object may be accomplished. By his death the root of all evil will be severed. This is the final deliberation of us all, O thou who hearest by thy eyes! Then, do that speedily which thou deemest proper.' Having said this, they looked intently at Vasuki, the best of snakes. And Vasuki also, after reflecting answered the snakes, saying. 'Ye snakes, this final determination of ye all doth not seem worthy of adoption. The advice of ye all is not to my liking. What shall I appoint which would be for your good? I think the grace of the illustrious Kasyapa (our father) can alone do us good. Ye snakes, my heart doth not know which to adopt of all your suggestions for the welfare of my race as also of mine. That must be done by me which would be to your weal. It is this that makes me so anxious, for the credit and the discredit are mine alone.
And so ends the thirty-seventh Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.