Souti said: -
1. The ministers, seeing their king in- the coils of Takshaka, became pale with fear, and they wept in great grief.
2-3. Hearing the roars of Takshaka the ministers all fled. And as they were running away, they saw the king of the snakes the wonderful serpent Takshaka, going away through the sky like a streak with the color of the lotus. His coursing through the sky looked like the Vermillion line in Sie middle of the dark masses of a lady’s hair.
4. The palace, in which the king was living, blazed up with the poison of the snake. The ministers left it and fled in fear, and the king fell down as if struck by lightning.
5. When thus the king fell’ with the poison of Takshaka, the ministers, with the royal priest and holy Brahmanas performed all his last rites.
6. All the citizens of the capital met together and placed the young son of the deceased king on the throne. They called that chastiser of foes, the hero of the Kuru race, Janamejaya.
7. That best of kings, Janamejaya, though he was but a boy, was very- intelligent and wise. With his ministers and priest, the eldest son of Parikshit, the best of the Kuru race, ruled his kingdom (as powerfully and well) as his grandfather (Yudhishtir).
8. Seeing that the young king could now keep his enemies in check, his ministers, went to Suvarnavarmana, the king of Kashi, and asked him to give his daughter, Vapustama in marriage with him.
9. The King of Kashi, after due enquiries bestowed with ordained rights his daughter Vapustoma on the mighty hero of the Kuru race. And he too was exceedingly happy to get her. He did not give his heart to any other women at any time.
10. The greatly powerful hero roamed happily in pursuit of pleasures m lakes, in woods and in flowery fields. He passed his time in pleasure as Pururava of olden time did on receiving Urvashi.
11. When he thus passed his days in pursuit of pleasure, ever renowned for her beauty, devoted to her husband, the fairest of the fair, Vapushtoma, having gained a desirable husband, pleased him with the excess of her love.
Thus ends the forty fourth chapter, Astika, in the Adi Parva.