Janamejaya felt that his father's death was done by treachery. He was very sad and at the same time extremely angry. He immediately called his priests and saints and said " The way my father died in the poisonous flames from Takshaka, he and his entire race should burn down in flames as well. My father will be happy in heaven and Udanka will also be satisfied. Please refer to the Shastras and let me know if Sarpa Yagam( A Yagna that is performed to bring snakes to extinction by letting them burn in flames) exists.". The priests replied " Oh King!, yes there is Sarpa Yagam, probably Gods have reserved you the right to perform it"
Janamejaya started making preperations for Sarpa Yagam. His wife VapushnaDevi was the daughter of KasiRaju Suvarna Verma. Along with her consent he began working for the Yagna. He called great sculptors and craftsmen and started the construction of Yagnasala( Place where Yagna is performed). The Yagnasala was abundant of all commodities needed to perform Yagna. All who were assigned tasks for the Yagna were very busy in completing their work. Thousands of Brahmins assembled for the Yagna and Janamejaya was personally taking care of everything. In the meanwhile a great scholar named Lohitha who knew VasthuShastra came there and he found a flaw in the construction of Yagnasala and wanted to report it to Janamejaya and said " Oh King! the Sarpa Yagam will proceed as planned but it will be stopped by someone and will not be completed". Janamejaya lent a deaf ear to Lohitha's words.
Sarpa Yagam started as scheduled. There are four positions in a yagna. At the altar, there are four priests sitting at four points. One position is Hotha, the one who reads RigVeda and invites the gods. The second position is Udgatha, the one who reads Samaveda. The third position is Adhwarya, the one who reads YajurVeda. The last is Brahma, who reads all the Vedas. Each priest represents one of these posts. The descendent of Chyavana, Chanda Bhargava was the Hotha. Pingala was the Adhwarya, Adwarya is the overall important man. He has to own the responsibility, if anything goes wrong. So he has to do a special prayer everyday to atone for his sins, seeking the pardon of God Himself, as there may be certain lapses or certain mistakes while performing yagna. Sarjarava was the Brahma and Kauthya was Udgatha. Vyasa, Vaisampayana, Paila, Jaimini, Sumantha, SriSuka, SwethaKethu, Maudgalya, Uddalaka, Mandavya, Kaushika, Kaundinya, Shandilya, Kramatha, Kohala, Asitha, Devala, Narada, Parvatha, Maitreya, Atreya, KundaJhatara, KalaGhatika, Vatsya, SruthaSrava, DevaSarma, Roma, Sodanka, Haritha, Ruru, Pulomudu, SomaSravasa were participating members. Everyone took theirs seats and the Yagna started. The Yagna was started by the people who wore black clothes and lit the fire. The flames were burning high and the Mantras were reverberating.
Janamejaya started making preperations for Sarpa Yagam. His wife VapushnaDevi was the daughter of KasiRaju Suvarna Verma. Along with her consent he began working for the Yagna. He called great sculptors and craftsmen and started the construction of Yagnasala( Place where Yagna is performed). The Yagnasala was abundant of all commodities needed to perform Yagna. All who were assigned tasks for the Yagna were very busy in completing their work. Thousands of Brahmins assembled for the Yagna and Janamejaya was personally taking care of everything. In the meanwhile a great scholar named Lohitha who knew VasthuShastra came there and he found a flaw in the construction of Yagnasala and wanted to report it to Janamejaya and said " Oh King! the Sarpa Yagam will proceed as planned but it will be stopped by someone and will not be completed". Janamejaya lent a deaf ear to Lohitha's words.
Sarpa Yagam started as scheduled. There are four positions in a yagna. At the altar, there are four priests sitting at four points. One position is Hotha, the one who reads RigVeda and invites the gods. The second position is Udgatha, the one who reads Samaveda. The third position is Adhwarya, the one who reads YajurVeda. The last is Brahma, who reads all the Vedas. Each priest represents one of these posts. The descendent of Chyavana, Chanda Bhargava was the Hotha. Pingala was the Adhwarya, Adwarya is the overall important man. He has to own the responsibility, if anything goes wrong. So he has to do a special prayer everyday to atone for his sins, seeking the pardon of God Himself, as there may be certain lapses or certain mistakes while performing yagna. Sarjarava was the Brahma and Kauthya was Udgatha. Vyasa, Vaisampayana, Paila, Jaimini, Sumantha, SriSuka, SwethaKethu, Maudgalya, Uddalaka, Mandavya, Kaushika, Kaundinya, Shandilya, Kramatha, Kohala, Asitha, Devala, Narada, Parvatha, Maitreya, Atreya, KundaJhatara, KalaGhatika, Vatsya, SruthaSrava, DevaSarma, Roma, Sodanka, Haritha, Ruru, Pulomudu, SomaSravasa were participating members. Everyone took theirs seats and the Yagna started. The Yagna was started by the people who wore black clothes and lit the fire. The flames were burning high and the Mantras were reverberating.
As the Mantras started progressing serpents started appearing and burning in to flames. Big serpents were burning in to flames in groups. The serpents ere dreading death and they started spitting venom. All sorts of snakes, in colors like red, black, white and grey started burning down in to ashes. Huge snakes many Yojanas in length started to drag themselves in to flames, hundreds and thousands of snakes burned down in to ashes. The sound of the fire was horrendous.
Descendants of Vasuki (Kotisa, Manasa, Purna, Cala, Pala, Halmaka, Pichchala, Kaunapa, Cakra, Kalavega, Prakalana, Hiranyavahu, Carana, Kakshaka, and Kaladantaka), Takshaka ( Puchchandaka, Mandalaka, Pindasektri, Ravenaka; Uchochikha, Carava, Bhangas, Vilwatejas, Virohana; Sili, Salakara, Muka, Sukumara, Pravepana, Mudgara, Sisuroman, Suroman and Mahahanu), Iravati (Paravata, Parijata, Pandara, Harina, Krisa, Vihanga, Sarabha, Meda, Pramoda and Sauhatapana), Kauravya (Eraka, Kundala Veni, Veniskandha, Kumaraka, Vahuka, Sringavera, Dhurtaka, Pratara and Astaka.), Dhritarashtra (Sankukarna, Pitharaka, Kuthara, Sukhana, and Shechaka; Purnangada, Purnamukha, Prahasa, Sakuni, Dari, Amahatha, Kumathaka, Sushena, Vyaya, Bhairava, Mundavedanga, Pisanga, Udraparaka, Rishabha, Vegavat, Pindaraka; Raktanga, Sarvasaranga, Samriddha, Patha and Vasaka; Varahaka, Viranaka, Suchitra, Chitravegika, Parasara, Tarunaka, Maniskandha and Aruni. (Dhritarashtra was Airavata's younger brother (1,3).)) were all burned down by the flames of the Sarpa Yagam.
All the Nagas were terrified and the Naga Kings started trembling with fear. Takshaka was shook by this and he was terrified. He ran to his friend Devendra and fell on his feet for help. Devendra had heard all this from Lord Brahma and he assured Takshaka that he is safe now and asked him not to worry. Vasuki could not bear the loss of his descendants and that of his brothers. He went to his sister Jaratkaru and asked her to send her son Asthika to Janamejaya and said " If you dont send your son now, the whole Naga race will be destroyed, this was the reason I got you married to Jaratkaru. You listened to what Elaputra said that day". Jaratkaru said " My dear son, please obey the order of your uncle Vasuki and go and convince Janamejaya and stop this massacre" and sent him to Sarpa Yagam.
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