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Ruru stood silently for a mont, absorbing the sage's words.
The ntion of King Janajaya's great Snake Sacrifice stirred his curiosity.
And the na Astika—the Brahmin who would one day save the serpent race—lingered in his mind.
At last he spoke.
“O revered sage,” Ruru said, “why did King Janajaya wage war against the snakes?
For what reason were they destroyed?
And why did the wise Astika intervene to save them?
Please tell everything. I wish to hear the entire story.”
The sage Sahasrapat smiled.
“O Ruru,” he replied, “you shall indeed hear the great history of Astika.
But that tale is not mine to tell.
In due course, a learned Brahmin will recount the entire story to you.”
No sooner had he spoken those words than he vanished.
One mont he stood before Ruru; the next, he was gone.
The forest fell silent.
Ruru stared in astonishnt.
Then, determined to find the mysterious sage again, he hurried through the woods searching in every direction.
He wandered among the trees, calling out and looking for any sign of Sahasrapat.
But the sage had disappeared completely.
Hours passed.
Exhausted from his search, Ruru finally collapsed upon the forest floor.
For so ti he lay there, overco by fatigue.
When he eventually recovered his senses, he abandoned the search and returned ho.
There he sought out his father, the wise Pramati.
After respectfully greeting him, Ruru recounted everything that had happened in the forest—the dundubha serpent, the revelation of Sahasrapat's true identity, the lesson on non-violence, and the prophecy concerning Astika and the Snake Sacrifice of King Janajaya.
When he finished, he asked his father about the strange prophecy.
Pramati listened carefully.
Then, seeing his son's eagerness to learn, he began to narrate the ancient history in full.
Thus the tale of Ruru gradually gave way to a much greater story—the story of King Janajaya, the destruction of the serpent race, and the extraordinary Brahmin Astika, whose wisdom would alter the fate of both n and snakes.
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