-:ABOUT THE BOOK:-

Uttank, a Brahmin, storms into the royal court of Hastinapur, fury blazing in his eyes. With relentless conviction, he urges King Janamejaya to perform the Sarpa Yajna—a great fire ritual designed to summon and destroy Takshak, the mighty king of serpents.

But this is no ordinary act of vengeance.

As Janamejaya learns of his father Parikshit’s tragic death and the role Takshak played in it, grief and rage cloud his judgment.

Persuaded by Uttank’s burning resolve, the king commands the ritual to begin—setting into motion forces far greater than he anticipates.

What follows is not merely a sacrificial rite, but a chain of events woven with ancient curses, powerful boons, and tangled karmic debts. As the flames rise, so does the threat of cosmic imbalance, endangering the very order of the universe.

Why is Uttank so determined to see Takshak destroyed? Is this justice—or revenge disguised as righteousness? Does the sarpa yajna succeed? If it were to fail, what could be the reason? And what lessons does Janamejaya learn from this incident? Sarpa Satra leads you through an intriguing journey to poignant answers.

This is a gripping journey into the heart of anger, fate and consequence—where every action carries a price…

-:TABLE OF CONTENTS:-

Chapter 1 – Janamejaya’s Dilemma .................................. 9

Chapter 2 – Parikshit’s Death ....................................... 19

Chapter 3 – Uttank’s Quest ......................................... 33

Chapter 4 – The Snake Ritual .................................... 43

Chapter 5 – Astik ............................................................ 53

Chapter 6 – Agni’s Curse ............................................. 61

Chapter 7 – The Origin ............................................... 71

Chapter 8 – The Mighty Garuda ................................. 79

CHAPTER-1

Janamejaya’s Dilemma

The forest awakened as the sun rose, spreading soft light through the trees. Tall trees with thick leaves shone in the beams of sunlight. The ground was covered with grass, fallen leaves, and small flowers, creating an earthy aroma. A gentle wind blew, birds sang, rabbits dug burrows, and deer grazed. Everything

was peaceful and alive.

Suddenly, dust began to swirl in the air. The winds blew fiercely, shaking the trees and sending leaves fluttering to the ground. Animals peeked out from a distance, and all that could be heard was the sound of wheels rolling along the forest path. As the dust settled, a chariot emerged from the trees, with horses galloping at breakneck pace. The charioteer held the reins tightly, pulling and whipping the horses to control their temper—a herculean task. He was also familiar with the muddy paths of the forest, skillfully navigating the chariot at such great speed.

Behind him stood a tall, handsome man wearing a golden crown. He held a bow in his left hand and

shielded his eyes with his right hand, scanning the horizon for directions.

“How much longer until we reach the hermitage?” the king asked, worry etched on his face. He was eager to arrive as quickly as possible. For the past couple of weeks, King Janamejaya had been troubled, seeking a solution to a problem that could only be resolved by a learned and experienced purohit.

A purohit is a priest or advisor who counsels kings, queens, and other royal figures on religious and spiritual matters, as well as on the welfare of the nation. Time and again, priests provide encouragement and guidance to ensure that royals uphold their dharma and fulfill their responsibilities truthfully.

“We will arrive by sunset, my king,” the charioteer replied.

For a moment, King Janamejaya was lost in thought. He had been searching for a capable sage for weeks, consulting various ministers, spies, and his brothers. Finally, he learned of a sage named Shrutshrava. Eager to consult a purohit as soon as possible, Janamejaya wasted no time in seeking out his location. He discovered that Shrutshrava’s hermitage was situated within his own kingdom.

“We have arrived at the hermitage, my king,” said the charioteer, breaking the king’s thoughts. Janamejaya

snapped back to reality and looked upon the hermitage. He took a deep breath and dismounted from his chariot.

He went inside the hermitage and greeted the sage Shrutshrava. The sage welcomed the king, blessed him, and respectfully asked him to take a seat. Shrutshrava then inquired, "My king, there was no need for you to come here. You could have asked me to visit you or sent someone to deliver your message. Why did you take the trouble to come?"

Janamejaya thought for a moment and replied, "Sage, I am suffering from a problem, and I wanted to talk to you in private. This issue has been troubling me for weeks, and I seek the counsel of a capable sage."

"What is the problem, my king? Please explain it to me."

Janamejaya closed his eyes and began to recollect his thoughts. After a moment, he opened his eyes and started telling his story.

"A few weeks ago, my brothers and I were performing a yajna in the field of Kurukshetra. This yajna was intended to last a long time, and we were conducting the religious rites with great respect. All was going well until suddenly, the son of a celestial dog named Sarmeya arrived at our yajna. This dog was not ordinary; his mother was a celestial female dog of the

devatas named Sarma. Sarmeya was curious about the yajna and wanted to participate in it. However, my brothers feared that he might disrupt the ritual. Shrutasena, Ugrasena, and Bhimasena were frustrated and attempted to shoo the dog away, but he refused to leave. Eventually, they chased and cornered him, beating him mercilessly.

Sarmeya ran away from the yajna and went to his mother, crying. His mother, Sarma, consoled him. After a while, she approached me and my brothers and said, "Why did your brothers beat my son? He didn’t do anything wrong; he just wanted to see the yajna."

My brothers remained silent, unable to answer her questions, with their heads bowed in shame.

She continued, "O king, whenever strong men misuse their power against the weak, unforeseen circumstances always arise. I, Sarma, a celestial dog, curse you: you shall face unexplained fears from unexpected dangers."

This incident troubled me. This curse could take everything from me: it could diminish my strength, shorten my life, or even lead to my death. After this incident, I realized the grave implications of this curse. I wanted to right this wrong; I longed to be free of it. Therefore, I seek a spiritual advisor to help me escape this terrible fate.

Sage Shrutshrava listened patiently to my story. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “My king, I understand your concern. If you truly wish to break the curse, I suggest you appoint my son, Sage Somashrava, as your chief advisor. He possesses deep knowledge and compassion. Born of the Snake Lady, Somashrava has the ability to remove any curse or sin, except for those laid by Higher Consciousness Shiva. Currently, he is meditating in his room. However, there is one condition you must accept if you wish to have Somashrava as your chief advisor.”

King Janamejaya asked, “What is the condition?”

Sage Shrutshrava replied, “If any Brahman requests anything from Sage Somashrava, he will always grant it. If you are willing to accept this condition, you may appoint him as your advisor.”

Janamejaya graciously accepted the condition. Soon after, Somashrava and Janamejaya traveled back together to Hastinapur, where Janamejaya made Somashrava the chief advisor (or purohit). He advised his brothers to make Somashrava their guru and to follow his guidance. The brothers complied, and everything returned to normal. Somashrava offered Janamejaya and his brothers the opportunity to perform some rituals, which they carried out sincerely and calmly. All seemed well.

A few months later, King Janamejaya traveled to Takshashila. A war erupted, and chaos spread through the streets like a volcano. The conflict lasted for several months, but in the end, King Janamejaya emerged victorious. News of his triumph spread like wildfire across the kingdoms, and even the common folk sang his praises. Janamejaya returned to Hastinapur with great joy, warmly welcomed by his ministers and sages, while celebrations erupted among his subjects.

After a warm welcome, Janamejaya was seated with his ministers in the chamber. They shared playful, light-hearted conversation and also discussed political matters when, surprisingly, a young brahmin, around 25 years of age, approached them. He had a tilak on his forehead and wore saffron robes, He seemed full of energy, but also looked angry. Something in his past seemed to have troubled him, and he came looking for help. The king stood from his throne and respectfully greeted the brahmin and asked for his blessings. The brahmin raised his hand and bestowed upon him blessings of victory and long life. Then, the young brahmin proclaimed, “King Janamejaya, there is one task that needs to be addressed. Instead, you are merely ruling and conquering. I am sure your father would be proud, but what about justice?”

The room fell silent, and everyone was stunned. King Janamejaya asked, “What justice? What have I not done? Tell me, whom have I denied justice?”

“To yourself,” the brahmin replied, pointing a finger at the king.

“To me? Who are you, and what are you trying to say?”

“My name is Uttank. I am here to remind you of the great injustice that befell your father, King Parikshit. You must avenge him, but you… don’t even remember.”

“What happened to him? He died when I was a young child. It was an accident,” Janamejaya proclaimed.

“No, my king. It was not an accident. It was murder. Your father was killed by the Snake King Takshak, who sought revenge. I am sorry you lost your father at such a young age.” Janamejaya was shocked by these revelations. He turned to his ministers and asked, “Is he speaking the truth?” But no one answered.

He shouted, “Tell me! Is he speaking the truth? Why wasn’t I informed? You would have been witnesses to that event, if it had happened.”

One of the ministers stood and replied, “It is true, my king. However, your father was actually killed by a curse. Takshak played only a part.”

Uttank said, “But he did kill him, right? My king, Takshak is still alive. I also know a way to address this. All you have to do is arrange a yajna and invite

hundreds or thousands of sages to it. They will place a curse on the snakes, and the snakes will all perish. Your father will finally be at peace. He is waiting for you to avenge him.”

Janamejaya rose from his throne and asked his ministers, “You all knew my father. Please tell me about him. Describe his nature, how he ruled, and how he was killed.”

I will find peace only if I receive all the answers. Tears streamed down his face; he felt disheartened and unable to express his emotions. He placed a hand on the arm of the throne and slowly took his seat.

The ministers replied, “It is true that we knew your father and how he died. We are your advisors, and it is our duty to make decisions in your and the nation’s interest. Therefore, for your safety, we will narrate the tale of your father, King Parikshit.