The Mahbhrata Patriline

The Mahbhrata describes Ugraravas’s visit to aunaka’s ritual satra in naimia Forest.1 Ugraravas tells aunaka about the royal Bhrata patriline. Ugraravas’s narration focuses on king Janamejaya Bhrata’s sarpasatra (snake sacrifice, snake session), during which Janamejaya heard, from Vysa’s pupil Vaiapyana, the tale Vysa had compiled about the Pavas (Janamejaya’s great-grandfather arjuna and his brothers) and their war against their cousins and wider family, the kauravas.2 Ugraravas was at the sarpasatra, where countless snakes were killed to avenge Janamejaya’s father Parikit’s earlier death by snakebite. Ugraravas describes for aunaka the scenario of the sarpasatra, its causes, and how it was abandoned after stka’s intervention; then, at aunaka’s request (1.53:28-36), he relates what Vaiapyana told Janamejaya.