अपश्यंस्तक्षकं तत्र राजा पारीक्षितो द्विजान् । उवाच तक्षक: कस्मान्न दह्येतोरगाधम: ॥ १८ ॥
apaśyaṁs takṣakaṁ tatra rājā pārīkṣito dvijān uvāca takṣakaḥ kasmān na dahyetoragādhamaḥ
- apaśyan
- not seeing
- takṣakam
- Takṣaka
- tatra
- there
- rājā
- the King
- pārīkṣitaḥ
- Janamejaya
- dvijān
- to the brāhmaṇas
- uvāca
- said
- takṣakaḥ
- Takṣaka
- kasmāt
- why
- na dahyeta
- has not been burned
- uraga
- of all the serpents
- adhamaḥ
- the lowest
When King Janamejaya did not see Takṣaka entering his sacrificial fire, he said to the brāhmaṇas : Why is not Takṣaka, the lowest of all serpents, burning in this fire?