Shaunaka said: O son of Suta, I desire to hear the names of those snakes, that fell into the fire of the Snakesacrifice.

Sauti said: O best of the twice-born, they were many thousands, tens of thousands and millions and billions; so great was their number that I am unable even to count them.

As far as I remember, hear, I shall mention the names of the principal snakes that fell into the fire.

Hear first the names of the chief ones of Vasuki's family, they were of colour, blue, red and white; they were of terrible forms, huge bodies and dreadfully poisonous.

Helpless and miserable, affected with their mother's curse, they all fell into that sacrificial fire as libations of ghee. (They were) Kotisha, Manasa, Purna, Shala, Pala, Halimaka, Pichchhala, Kaunapa, Chakra, Kalavega Prakalana, Hiranyabahu, Sharana Kakshaka and Kaladantaka.

These are the snakes, born of Vasuki, that fell into the fire. O Brahmana, numerous other fearful and powerful snakes, born in the family of Takshaka, were burnt in the blazing fire. Hear, I shall mention their names now.

Puchchhandaka, Mandalaka, Pindasektta, Rabhenaka, Uchchhikha, Sharabha, Bhangas, Bilvatejas, Virohana, Shili, Shalakara, Mooka, Sukumara, Pravepana, Mudgara, Shishuroman, Suroman and Mahahanu.

These snakes, born of Takshaka, fell into the fire. Paravata, Pariyata, Pandara, Harina, Krisha, Vihanga, Sharabha, Meda, Pramoda, Sanhatapan these, born in the family of Airvata, fell into the fire.

Now hear, O best of Brahmanas, the names of the snakes, born in the family of Kauravya, that I mention. Eraka, Kundala Veni, Veniskandha, Kumaraka, Bahuka, Shringavera, Dhurtaka, Pratara and Ataka, these, born in the Kauravya family, fell into the fire.

Now hear, O Brahmana, I mention those born in the family of Dhritarashtra, they were all exceedingly powerful, as swift as the wind and full of virulent poison.

Shankukarna, Pitharaka, Kuthara Mukha, Sechaka, Purnangada, Purnamukha, Prahasa, Shakuni, Dari, Amahatha, Kamathaka, Sushena, Manasa, Avyaya, Bhairava, Mundavedanga, Pishanga, Udraparaka, Rishabha, Vegavana Naga, Pindaraka, Mahahanu, Rakttanga, Sarvasaranga, Samridha, Pata, Vasaka, Varahaka, Viranaka, Suchitra, Chitravegika, Parashara, Tarunka, Mani, Skandha and Aruni.

O Brahmana, thus have I recited the names of the chief snakes, all famous for their great deeds. I have not been able to mention all, their number being countless.

I am unable to mention the names of the sons of these and again the sons of their sons that fell into the blazing fire. They are countless.

Some of them had three heads, some seven and some ten. They had poison like the fire at the end of the Yuga and they were all terrible in appearance.

They had huge bodies and great speed, they were as tall as mountain peaks. Some of them were as long as a Yama, some a Yojana and some two Yojanas.

They were capable of assuming any form at will and of mustering any strength at will, they had the poison like the blazing fire, (such were the snakes that) that were burnt in the great sacrifice, affected by Brahma's punishment, (their mother's curse.)