श्रीशुक उवाच उपहार्यै: सर्पजनैर्मासि मासीह यो बलि: । वानस्पत्यो महाबाहो नागानां प्राङ्निरूपित: ॥ २ ॥ स्वं स्वं भागं प्रयच्छन्ति नागा: पर्वणि पर्वणि । गोपीथायात्मन: सर्वे सुपर्णाय महात्मने ॥ ३ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca upahāryaiḥ sarpa-janair māsi māsīha yo baliḥ vānaspatyo mahā-bāho nāgānāṁ prāṅ-nirūpitaḥ svaṁ svaṁ bhāgaṁ prayacchanti nāgāḥ parvaṇi parvaṇi gopīthāyātmanaḥ sarve suparṇāya mahātmane
- śrī-śukaḥ uvāca
- Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
- upahāryaiḥ
- who were qualified to make offerings
- sarpa-janaiḥ
- by the serpent race
- māsi māsi
- each month
- iha
- here (in Nāgālaya)
- yaḥ
- which
- baliḥ
- offering of tribute
- vānaspatyaḥ
- at the base of a tree
- mahā-bāho
- O mighty-armed Parīkṣit
- nāgānām
- for the serpents
- prāk
- previously
- nirūpitaḥ
- ordained
- svam svam
- each his own
- bhāgam
- portion
- prayacchanti
- they present
- nāgāḥ
- the serpents
- parvaṇi parvaṇi
- once each month
- gopīthāya
- for the protection
- ātmanaḥ
- of themselves
- sarve
- all of them
- suparṇāya
- to Garuḍa
- mahā-ātmane
- the powerful
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: To avoid being eaten by Garuḍa, the serpents had previously made an arrangement with him whereby they would each make a monthly offering of tribute at the base of a tree. Thus every month on schedule, O mighty-armed King Parīkṣit, each serpent would duly make his offering to that powerful carrier of Viṣṇu as a purchase of protection.