Sauti said : When the king of snakes, Takshaka, was at the point of falling into the sacrificial fire, within that very short moment, Astika spoke thus,
सौतिरुवाच पतिष्यमाणे नागेन्द्रे तक्षके जातवेदसि। इदमन्तरमित्येवं तदास्तीकोऽभ्यचोदयत्॥