The Curse of Saramä 
Once, in the land of Kurukñetra, Janamejaya, the son of Parikñit, was performing a long sacrifice assisted by his three brothers, who were named Çrutasena, Ugrasena, and Bhémasena. As the four brothers engaged in worship, a dog approached the sacrificial arena. Janamejaya's brothers beat the dog and drove it away, lest it contaminate the sacrifice. The dog went howling and crying to its mother, Saramä. Seeing her son crying loudly, Saramä asked him, «Why are you crying? Who has beaten you?» 
The dog replied, «I was beaten by King Janamejaya's brothers.» 
«Certainly you must have committed some offense,» said his mother, «and that's why they beat you.» 
But the dog again said to his mother, «I didn't commit any offense öI didn't lick up the sacrificial butter, or even look at it!» 
Hearing this, Saramä, who was grief-stricken to see her child so unhappy, went at once to where the king and his brothers were performing a long sacrifice and angrily said to Janamejaya, «This is my son! He didn't commit any offense, so why was he beaten?» No one replied. «Because my son, who did nothing wrong, was severely beaten, I now declare, King Janamejaya, that in the future an unforeseen danger will come into your life.» 
Thus addressed by the celestial dog, Janamejaya was overcome by confusion and grief. Completing the sacrifice and returning to Hastinäpura, he began to search tirelessly for a person who could neutralize the effects of his family's sin. 
The son of Parikñit was once hunting in a corner of his kingdom when he came upon a saintly äçrama wherein a sage named Çrutaçravä lived with his beloved son, Somaçravä. Janamejaya carefully observed the sage's son and saw that he was qualified to serve as the royal priest. 
Approaching the boy's father, the king offered his respectful obeisances and said, «My lord, your son must be allowed to act as my priest.» 
Thus addressed, the sage replied, «Dear Janamejaya, my son is a great ascetic, highly learned in Vedic wisdom. In fact, he was conceived and grew in the womb of a serpent who once drank my semen, and because he is born of my seed, he is endowed with my power, which I have acquired by long austerities. He is fully qualified to relieve your family of all its sins–except, of course, sins committed against Lord Çiva. 
«I must tell you, however, that my son has made one private vow: that if any brähmaëa requests anything of him in charity, he will give it. If you can tolerate this, you may take him at once.» 
Thus addressed by the sage, Janamejaya replied, «My lord, so it shall be.» 
Taking Somaçravä as his priest, the king returned to his capital city and told his brothers, «I have chosen this young brähmaëa to be our royal priest, and he is to be respected as our teacher. Whatever he says must be done without question.» 
Faithfully hearing his words, the king's brothers did exactly as told. Janamejaya, having thus instructed his brothers, then journeyed to the kingdom of Takñaçilä and brought it within the Kuru administration. 
The Three Disciples of Dhaumya 
Süta Gosvämé continued: 
During this period there lived a sage of the name Äyodadhaumya, who was teaching three disciples: Upamanyu, Äruni, and Veda. The teacher called upon one of his students, Äruni of Päïcäla, and said, «My dear boy, there is a breach in the dike. Go and close it.» 
So ordered by his teacher, Äruni of Päïcäla went to the dike but could not close the breach. Anxiously pondering the problem, he finally thought of a solution. 
«So be it!» he said to himself. «I will do it!» And he at once climbed onto the dike, lay down in the breach, and held back the water with his own body. 
Some time later, the boy's teacher, Äyodadhaumya, asked his other disciples, «Where is Äruni of Päïcäla? Where did he go?» 
The students replied, «My lord, you told him, `There is a breach in the dike. Go and close it!'» 
Thus addressed by his students, the teacher replied, «All right, then all of us will go there to find him.» 
When the teacher arrived in the general area of the dike, he called out to his disciple, «O Äruni of Päïcäla, where are you? Come here, my son!» 
Hearing his teacher calling him, Äruni of Päïcäla at once got up from the dike, ran to his teacher, and stood before him, saying, «Here I am! I couldn't stop the water from coming over the dike, so I closed the breach with my own body. When I heard my master's voice, I came immediately, and the water again burst through the dike. Yet I am here, my lord, ready to serve you. Please instruct me.» 
The teacher replied, «Because you immediately got up when you heard me calling and thus caused the water to burst through the dike, you will be known by the name Uddälaka, `one who stood up and let the water burst through.'» 
Having given him this name, the teacher then blessed his disciple, saying, «Because you always obey my instructions, you will achieve great fortune in life. You shall understand all the Vedas and all the Dharma-çästras, the great books of knowledge.» 
[Uddälaka earned his teacher's blessings by faithful service and was allowed to graduate from the school.] Thus addressed by his guru, the student went to the country of his choice. Äyodadhaumya had another disciple, named Upamanyu, whom he ordered as follows: «My dear son Upamanyu, you should take care of the cows.» 
Accepting his teacher's instruction, Upamanyu herded the cows during the day, and at day's end he returned to his teacher's house, stood before him, and offered respectful obeisances. Seeing that he was corpulent, the teacher said, «My dear son Upamanyu, how do you maintain yourself? You seem quite heavy.» 
The student replied to his teacher, «I live by begging alms.» 
The teacher replied, «You are a student. You are not to utilize such alms without first offering them to me, your teacher.» 
«So be it,» said Upamanyu obediently, and again he went about herding the cows. Returning in the evening to his teacher's house, he stood before him and offered his respectful obeisances. But seeing that he was still rather fat, the teacher said,!My dear Upamanyu, I take all the alms which you beg, and there is nothing left over. How do you maintain yourself now?» 
Thus addressed by his teacher, Upamanyu replied, «My lord, I give you all that I beg in my first shift, and then I live on whatever I collect in my second shift. By this method I maintain myself.» 
The teacher replied, «That is still not the proper way to serve your guru. You should beg once and offer the alms to your teacher. When you beg from the same people twice, you disturb their livelihood in order to get your own. You are much too anxious for food!» 
«So be it,» said Upamanyu, and he returned to herding the cows. Coming to his teacher's house at the end of day, he stood before him and offered his respectful obeisances. Seeing that he was still quite heavy, his teacher again said to him, «I take all the alms that you beg, and you do not beg a second time, and still you are too fat. How do you maintain yourself?» 
Upamanyu replied to his teacher, «My dear Gurudeva, I maintain myself by drinking the milk of the cows.» 
The teacher replied to him, «It is not correct for you, as a student, to utilize the milk of the cows without my permission.» 
«So be it,» said Upamanyu, promising that he would be more careful. He herded the cows and then came again to his teacher's house, standing before him and offering his respectful obeisances. The teacher noticed that his disciple was still too heavy and said to him, «You do not keep the alms that you beg, you do not beg a second time, you do not drink the milk from the cows–and still you are too heavy! How do you maintain yourself now?» 
Thus addressed by his teacher, Upamanyu replied, «Sir, after the calves drink from their mother's teats, I drink the milky froth which the calves regurgitate.» 
The teacher replied, «The calves are very kind, and out of kindness toward you they spit out much more than they ought. You maintain yourself by disturbing the sustenance of the calves. Therefore you should not even drink the froth.» 
«So be it,» said Upamanyu, promising to take greater care. And without eating, he continued to herd the cows. Forbidden by his teacher, he would not take a portion of his teacher's alms, nor would he beg for himself, drink the milk of his teacher's cows, or even take the froth left by the calves. 
Once as Upamanyu wandered in the forest afflicted with hunger, he ate the leaves of an arka tree. But the leaves were so acrid and acidic that they caused a terrible burning in his eyes that left Upamanyu blind. Having lost his sight, he began to grope about the forest and fell into an open well. 
When Upamanyu failed to return, his teacher said to the other students, «I've restricted Upamanyu in so many ways that he must have become angry, and therefore he doesn't return. He's been gone so long.» 
Speaking thus, the teacher went to the forest and began to call Upamanyu, «Hello! Upamanyu! Where are you? My son, please come!» 
Hearing his teacher calling him, Upamanyu shouted back, «Teacher! Hello! It's me! I've fallen into a well!» 
The teacher asked him, «How did you fall into the well?» 
The student replied, «I ate the leaves of an arka tree and went blind; thus I fell into a well.» 
The teacher replied to his student, «Please pray to the twin Açvins. They will give you back your sight, for they are the physicians of the demigods.» 
Thus addressed by his teacher, Upamanyu began to pray to the two godly Açvins with the following hymns from the Åg Veda: 
«O twin Açvins, O ancient ones of wondrous luster who always precede us, shining and unlimited, I praise you with these words. O pure celestial beings of beautiful effulgence, O measureless beings, you range and dwell everywhere within these worlds. 
«Dear Näsatya and Dasra, with handsome noses you are like golden birds, victorious friends in time of need. Coming forth at dawn, you swiftly weave on fine looms the bright light of day. 
«Dear twin Açvins, to bring good fortune, by your strength you freed the swallowed quail. Such are your excellent deeds that those who stole the cows of dawn bow to your mystic potency. 
«Those 360 milking cows gave birth to a single calf and provided it milk, even though placed in different cow pens, and you Açvins took from them an enjoyable offering of hot milk. 
«Seven hundred spokes are fastened to one hub, and twenty other spokes rest upon the wheel's fellies. Yet this undying wheel turns and turns without a rim. Dear Açvins, such expert mystic power adorns you. 
«The turning wheel is one, with twelve spokes fastened to six rim sections and a single nectar-bearing axle fitted to the hub. The demigods who rule this world are addicted to that nectar. May the two Açvins not despair of us and thus release that nectar. 
«The virtuous Açvins broke open the mountain and released the hidden cows. By day their deed was seen and their strength celebrated. Indeed, they have won the nectar of Indra. 
«You two Açvins first generate the ten directions, and as they 
individually separate and expand equally outward, the sages, gods, and human beings of the earth follow the path of those directions. 
«You then transform all the hues of the universe, and they in turn invest all things with variegated colors. Even the cosmic lights shine in accord with your arrangements of color. The gods respect it, as do human beings who act upon the earth. 
«O Näsatyas, Açvins, it is you whom I praise, along with the garland of blue lotuses you wear. O Näsatyas, immortal upholders of truth, by your encouragement truth goes forth, even without the gods. 
«O youthful Açvins, may a man whose life is finished live again through these prayers. As a newborn child takes the mother's teat, so by submitting to you, who freed the cows, may we also live.» 
When Upamanyu had thus glorified the Açvins, they came to him and said, «We are pleased with your sincere prayers, and to solve your problem we've brought you this medicinal cake. Now eat it.» 
Thus addressed, Upamanyu replied, «You never speak lies, so I'm sure this cake actually has the power to remove my blindness. But I don't dare accept it without offering it first to my guru.» 
The two Açvins replied, «In the past your teacher prayed to us, just as you did, and being pleased we awarded him a similar cake, which he accepted and ate without offering it to his guru. You also should accept and eat this cake in the exact same way your teacher did.» 
Thus addressed, Upamanyu again replied to the Açvins, «Dear sirs, I beg your forgiveness, but I would not dare eat this cake without offering it first to my guru.» 
The two Açvins replied, «You have pleased us by your great dedication to your guru. His teeth are dark like iron, but yours shall be golden. You shall regain your sight and achieve good fortune in life.» 
Being thus addressed by the Açvins and regaining his sight, Upamanyu went at once to his teacher and respectfully greeted him, explaining all that had happened. The guru was pleased with his student and told him, «Just as the Açvins said, you shall achieve good fortune in life. All the Vedas will be revealed to you.» 
Thus Upamanyu passed his guru's test. 
Äyodadhaumya had another disciple, named Veda. One day the teacher instructed his student, «My dear son Veda, you should stay here for some time and serve in my house, and thus you will achieve good fortune.» 
«So be it,» said Veda, who then lived for a long time in the gurukula, the guru's house, completely devoted to serving his spiritual master. Indeed, like a faithful ox yoked to a heavy load, Veda tolerated the miseries of heat and cold, hunger and thirst, and was never stubborn or discourteous. 
After much time had passed, Veda fully satisfied his guru, and by 
his guru's full satisfaction Veda achieved good fortune and perfect knowledge, having passed his guru's test. 
With his teacher's permission, Veda ended his long stay in the gurukula. Returning to his home, he entered the gåhastha-äçrama by accepting a wife and strictly following the religious principles for married life. Eventually, Veda took on three students of his own, but he did not order them to do any work. He did not tell them, «This work must be done,» or «You must serve your guru,» for he knew intimately the hardship of living in the gurukula, and he did not want to trouble his disciples by engaging them in service. 
The Story of King Pauñya and Uttaìka 
Süta Gosvämé continued: 
After some time two kings, Janamejaya and Pauñya, knowing Veda to be a qualified brähmaëa, both selected him as their royal priest to officiate at sacrifices. Thus one day, when Veda was about to depart to perform sacrificial duties for the kings, he requested his disciple Uttaìka as follows: «My dear Uttaìka, if anything is needed in my house while I'm away, I want you to arrange for it so that nothing is lacking.» 
Having carefully instructed Uttaìka, Veda departed and lived for some time away from home. Eager to serve his guru, Uttaìka lived in his teacher's house, faithfully executing his instructions. 
One day, the women of the community approached Uttaìka and told him, «Your teacher's wife is in her fertile season. It is the time for her to beget a child, but her husband is far from home, and naturally she has become quite depressed about this situation. It is your duty, Uttaìka, to help her conceive a child. [After all, you were ordered to provide whatever is needed.] You must do this for your guru's wife!» 
Thus addressed, Uttaìka replied to the women, «Even if you women say so, I will not do the wrong thing. My teacher never said to me, `You are now authorized to perform sinful activities.'» 
Some time later Uttaìka's teacher returned from his trip, and upon learning what Uttaìka had done was very pleased with him. He said to his student, «Uttaìka, my son, tell me what I can do for you. You served me so nicely in accord with religious principles, and thus our love for each other has grown even stronger. I give you permission to go, and I bless you to achieve all success in life.» 
Thus addressed, Uttaìka replied, «Please tell me what I can do to please you. As the authorities say, `If a person asks questions against religious principles, and another speaks against those same principles, hostility will arise between them and one of them will die.' 
«Although you have given me permission to return home, I want to do something for you. A disciple must make an offering to his guru after completing his studies.» 
Thus addressed by his student, the teacher replied, «My dear son Uttaìka, if that is how you feel, then you may stay a while longer.» 
Soon after, Uttaìka again approached his teacher and said, «Sir, please tell me, what can I offer that will please you?» 
The teacher replied, «My dear Uttaìka, so many times you have approached me to say, `I must offer something to my guru.' All right, go to my wife and ask her, `What can I offer you?' Whatever she requests, you may offer that.» 
Uttaìka went to the teacher's wife and said, «Respected lady, my teacher gave me permission to return home, and I wish to pay my debt to him by offering something that will also be pleasing to you. Please order me. What gift shall I offer to my guru?» 
The teacher's wife replied, «Go to King Pauñya and beg from his queen the two earrings she is wearing. Four days hence there will be a religious ceremony, and I want to wear those earrings when I serve the brähmaëas. Make this arrangement so that I look nice on that occasion, and you will achieve all good fortune.» 
Uttaìka at once departed for the kingdom of Pauñya. As he went along the path he saw an extremely large man mounted on an extraordinarily large bull. The man then spoke to Uttaìka, «Uttaìka, you should eat the dung of this bull.» 
When addressed in this way, Uttaìka did not want to comply. But the man spoke to him again, «Just eat it, Uttaìka! Don't analyze the situation. Previously your own teacher ate this dung.» 
Thus addressed, Uttaìka said, «So be it!» and eating the dung and urine of the bull, Uttaìka again set out for the land of the warrior Pauñya. 
When Uttaìka arrived he found the king sitting, and therefore he approached him and greeted him respectfully by offering his blessings. He then said, «I come to you seeking a boon.» 
The king respectfully greeted Uttaìka and replied, «My lord, I am King Pauñya. What may I do for you?» 
Uttaìka said, «I have come on behalf of my guru to beg of you the two earrings your queen is now wearing. It would be most kind of you to give them to me.» 
King Pauñya replied, «Please go to my inner quarters and request them of the queen.» 
Thus addressed, Uttaìka entered those quarters but did not see the queen, so again he spoke to Pauñya, «It is not right for you to tell me lies. Your queen is not in the inner quarters; I do not see her there.» 
Thus addressed, Pauñya replied, «Then you must be in an impure state. Remember if the last time you ate you failed to wash yourself properly. The queen cannot be seen by one who is in an impure state or by one who has not properly cleansed his body after eating. Since she is a chaste wife, she will not grant an audience to an unclean person.» 
Uttaìka thought for a moment and said, «Yes, it is a fact that after eating I quickly washed my mouth and hands as I was walking.» 
Pauñya replied, «Yes, this is precisely the point: a person who is walking cannot properly wash himself.» 
«Yes, it is so,» said Uttaìka, and he sat down facing east. 
Uttaìka thoroughly washed his hands, feet, and mouth, silently sipped water three times, and wiped his face twice, meditating within his heart on purification. After purifying all his bodily apertures with pure water, he entered the women's quarters and saw the queen. Seeing Uttaìka enter, the queen stood up and offered him her respectful greetings. «Welcome, my lord. Please tell me what I may do for you.» 
Uttaìka replied, «I beg from you those two earrings for my guru. Kindly give them to me.» 
Pleased by Uttaìka's saintly demeanor and reflecting that such a worthy recipient should not be refused, the queen took off her earings and offered them to him. She then told him, «Takñaka, the king of serpents, is anxious to get these earrings, so please carry them with great care!» 
Uttaìka replied to the queen, «My lady, rest assured. Takñaka, the king of serpents, cannot attack me.» 
Having thus spoken to the queen, with her permission he returned to King Pauñya and said, «My dear King Pauñya, I am satisfied now.» 
King Pauñya replied, «My lord, it has been a long time since a truly deserving visitor has come here. You are a qualified guest, and I want to take advantage of your presence and perform a çräddha ceremony to benefit my forefathers. Please stay with us a while.» 
Uttaìka replied, «I can stay for a short while. Right now I should like whatever food has already been prepared and offered to the Lord.» 
The king agreed and fed him with food that was available. But Uttaìka noticed that the food was cold and mixed with hairs, and finding it to be impure he said to the king, «Because you are giving me contaminated food, [which could seriously harm me,] you shall become blind!» 
Pauñya angrily replied, «Because you vilify pure food you will never have children!» 
Pauñya then inspected the food and saw that it was impure. Having been prepared by a woman who had let down her hair, it was indeed mixed with hairs and was unclean. The king then begged Uttaìka for mercy: 
«My Lord!» he cried, «It was in ignorance that we offered you cold food mixed with hairs. Please forgive me. Don't make me blind!» 
Uttaìka replied, «I do not speak in vain. You will go blind, but you shall quickly regain your sight. Now I should also be spared from your curse.» 
Pauñya replied, «I cannot take back my curse. My anger is still not appeased. Do you not know the famous proverb: `The heart of a brähmaëa is as soft as newly churned butter, though his speech is like a sharp-edged razor. But the opposite is true for a kñatriyaö warrior. His speech is as soft and pleasing as newly churned butter, but his heart is like the sharp edge of a razor'? That is a fact. Because my heart is sharp, I cannot adjust my curse. Now please go!» 
Uttaìka replied, «It was you who gave me impure food, and still I was willing to forgive you and adjust my curse. When you cursed me, you said, `Because you vilify pure food, you will never have children,' but the food was in fact impure, so your curse will therefore not affect me. I think we have settled this matter.» 
Saying this, Uttaìka took the two earrings and departed. On the road he saw a naked mendicant approaching him, but at times he could see the mendicant and at times he could not. Placing the two earrings on the ground, Uttaìka was about to drink some water when the mendicant rushed up, grabbed the earrings, and fled. Uttaìka chased him and grabbed him, but the apparent mendicant relinquished his disguise and revealed his true form as Takñaka, king of the serpents. The snake ruler sped through a large hole in the earth and reached the land of the mighty Näga serpents, where he entered his house. 
Uttaìka pursued him through that very hole and reached the serpent realm, which seemed as though it were boundless, for it boasted hundreds of palaces and mansions, handsomely crowned with pinnacles and turrets and built in various styles. There were many recreational facilities, both large and small, and the serpent land was full of workplaces and sanctuaries. [Beholding a well-developed civilization, Uttaìka decided to appeal to the Nägas through eloquent prayer in the hope that they would quickly return the earrings.] 
Thus he approached them and spoke these verses: 
«The serpents, whose king is Airävata, shine forth in battle and pour down weapons, just as wind-driven clouds, ablaze with lightning, pour down their waters. 
«Handsome, multicolored, and of checkered coils, those born of Airävata shine forth like the sun in the heavens. 
«On the northern bank of the Ganges are many paths of the lordly Nägas. Who but their leader, Airävata, could hope to move so freely in the fiery blaze of the neighboring sun? 
«When the serpent king named Dhåtaräñöra goes out walking, 28,008 serpents accompany him. 
«To all whose elder brother is Airävata, to those privileged to go near him as well as to those who stay off at a distance, I offer obeisances. 
«To retrieve the two earrings, I pray to Takñaka, son of Kadrü, to him who dwelt at Kurukñetra and in the Khäëòava forest. 
«Takñaka and Açvasena always live together, and they dwell in Kurukñetra along the banks of the Ikñumaté River. 
«And Takñaka's youngest brother, known as Çrutasena, lived in sacred Mahaddyuman, aspiring to lead the Nägas.» 
After Uttaìka had thus prayed to the Nägas but still did not get back the two earrings, he looked about him and wondered what he should do. He then beheld two women weaving a cloth they had mounted on a loom. In that loom were black and white threads. He also saw six boys turning a wheel that had twelve spokes, and he saw a handsome man mounted on a horse. Uttaìka then prayed to all of them with the following verses composed of Vedic hymns: 
«Ever rolling round the polestar is the wheel of time, with its 360 spokes fixed in the center. Six boys keep it turning in divisions of 24. 
«The cosmos is formed like a loom upon which two young girls endlessly weave their black and white threads, tirelessly turning the cycles that bring forth all creatures and worlds. 
«To the master of the thunderbolt, guardian of the planets, slayer of Våtra, destroyer of Namuci, the great soul who dresses himself in two dark garments, who distinguishes truth from illusion, and who obtained for his mount the primordial steed born of the sea and empowered by fire–to him I bow always, to the master of the cosmos, lord of the three worlds, who shatters the enemy's ramparts. My obeisances unto Indra!» 
When Uttaìka finished his prayers, the man on the horse said to him, «You have pleased me by this prayer. How may I please you?» 
Uttaìka replied, «May the Näga serpents come under my control.» 
«Blow into this horse through his vital air,» said the man, and as Uttaìka blew into the horse every opening in its body poured out smoking flames that threatened to engulf the entire serpent kingdom. Frightened, bewildered, and humbled, Takñaka quickly grabbed the two earrings and emerged from his house and said to Uttaìka, «Please, sir, take these earrings.» 
Uttaìka took them back, but then he remembered, «Today is the special day when my teacher's wife wanted her gift. But I've come such a great distance, how can I possibly return in time?» 
Even as he was pondering, the man said to him, «Uttaìka, mount this horse. He'll transport you in a moment to your teacher's house.» 
Uttaìka accepted the offer, and mounting the horse, he returned to his teacher's home. His guru's wife had already taken her bath in preparation for the day's ceremony, and as she sat combing her hair she thought, «Uttaìka has not yet returned,» and made up her mind to curse him. Just then Uttaìka entered and greeted his teacher's wife and presented her with the two earrings. She said to him, «Uttaìka, you've come here just in time. Welcome, my child. I was set to curse you, but your good fortune is now assured and you will achieve great success in life.» 
Uttaìka then respectfully greeted his teacher, who said to him, «My dear Uttaìka, welcome. What took you so long?» 
Uttaìka replied, «Sir, Takñaka, the Näga king, disturbed my work, and I had to go to the land of the Nägas. There I saw two women weaving a cloth upon a loom that held black and white threads. What was that? I also saw six boys turning a twelve-spoked wheel. What could that have been? And I saw a man–who was he? What was that unusually large horse? Also, as I was traveling to the kingdom of Pauñya I saw on the road a large bull and a man riding on its back. The man very politely said to me, `Uttaìka, eat this bull's dung. After all, your teacher ate it.' 
«Because of that I accepted the bull dung. I would like to hear what all this means.» 
Thus addressed, the teacher replied, «Those two women are Destiny and Fate, and the white and black threads are the days and nights. The six boys who turn the wheel are the six short-lived seasons, and the wheel itself is the cycle of a year, whose twelve months are the wheel's spokes. The handsome man is Parjanya, god of rain, and the horse is Agni, god of fire. 
«The bull you beheld while journeying to King Pauñya's realm was the celestial elephant Airävata, and the man riding him was Lord Indra. The so-called dung you ate was actually nectar of the gods. [You remained faithful,] and by thus eating godly nectar you could not be defeated in the serpent realm. Indra is my friend, and by his mercy you recovered the earrings and returned safely. 
«Now, my dear student, you may go with my blessings. You shall attain good fortune.» 
Uttaìka thus received his teacher's permission to graduate; but he was still angry at Takñaka, and desiring to repay the offense he had suffered, he departed for Hastinäpura. Uttaìka, a most competent brähmaëa, soon reached Hastinäpura and went to meet King Janamejaya, who had just returned from complete victory in Takñaçilä. 
Uttaìka saw the undefeated Kuru monarch surrounded on all sides by his ministers, and as he approached him Uttaìka first offered traditional blessings for the king's continued victory over his foes, and then at just the right moment he spoke these words in a pleasing and articulate voice: «O best of kings, although there is an urgent duty to be done, out of childish innocence you, the finest of monarchs, are content to do something else.» 
Being thus addressed, the king bestowed full honor upon his guest and replied as follows: «By properly caring for all creatures, I fulfill my duties as a ruler. But please tell me if there is yet something to be done. O best of brähmaëas, I am eager to hear your words.» 
Thus addressed by that noble ruler of men, the noble sage, the best of pious men, then told the mighty monarch exactly what needed to be done. 
«O king of kings,» said Uttaìka, «it was Takñaka who killed your father, and you must now repay that wicked serpent. In my view the time has come to perform a duty that is sanctioned by Vedic principles. You must show your love and gratitude toward your father, who was a great soul. That evil-minded serpent bit your father, who had never offended him, and your father, the king, was felled like a tree struck by a thunderbolt. Takñaka is the lowest of serpents and is puffed up with pride over his so-called strength. That sinful one dared to do what should never have been done when he bit your father, striking down a king who had upheld the noblest traditions of his saintly family, a king beyond all compare. Moreover, when Kaçyapa tried to save your father from death, that sinful Takñaka turned him away. 
«Mahäräja, you must burn that sinner in the blazing fire of sacrifice! It is ordained that you perform a snake sacrifice! O king, in this way you shall properly honor your father, and I shall attain something I very much desire. O sinless king, O ruler of the earth, when I was busily engaged in serving my guru, that wicked one, without reason, placed obstacles in my path.» 
Hearing these words, a terrible anger toward Takñaka welled up within the king. As the offering of pure butter brings the fire of sacrifice to a blaze, so did the words of Uttaìka inflame the fire of rage within the heart of Janamejaya. Anguished over his father's death, even in the presence of Uttaìka the king asked his wise and elderly minsters about his father's passage to the spiritual abode. Indeed, when he heard from Uttaìka about his father's death, that best of kings was overwhelmed with a bitter and searing grief.