**"And NOW,"** I announced with barely contained excitement, "we get to the moment every student dreads—when your teacher drops the most fascinating teaser in history and then DISAPPEARS before telling you the actual story!"
The sages all looked confused and slightly concerned. *Oh, they have no idea what kind of educational torture is coming.*
"So there's Ruru," I continued, "having just received the most profound spiritual education of his life, completely transformed from revenge-seeking vigilante to wisdom-seeking student. His mind is buzzing with curiosity about this legendary tale Sahasrapat just mentioned!"
"Ruru, now fully invested in learning instead of killing, asks the most natural follow-up questions in the world:"
I took on his eager voice: "'O best of Brahmanas! Why was King Janamejaya so determined to destroy all serpents? And how exactly did the wise Astika save them? I need to hear EVERYTHING in detail!'"
"Perfect student behavior, right? He's engaged, he's asking thoughtful questions, he wants the complete story. Any teacher would be thrilled to have such an enthusiastic pupil!"
"And Sahasrapat," I said, my voice taking on a tone of mock betrayal, "delivers the most INFURIATING response in the history of education!"
"He basically says: 'Oh, that story? Yeah, you'll learn it from other Brahmanas!' AND THEN HE VANISHES!"
I gestured dramatically at empty air.
"POOF! Gone! Disappeared! No forwarding address, no office hours, no 'see you next week!' Just straight-up educational abandonment!"
The sages were laughing now, clearly recognizing the universal frustration of being left hanging at the most interesting part.
"And poor Ruru!" I continued, building the pathos. "He's standing there like, 'WAIT, WHAT?! You can't just mention the most amazing story ever and then DISAPPEAR!'"
"So what does he do? He runs around the ENTIRE forest looking for Sahasrapat! He's probably calling out, 'Teacher! Come back! Finish the story!' like some kind of mythological lost puppy!"
"He searches everywhere—behind trees, under rocks, in caves—anywhere a vanished sage might be hiding. But nothing! The guy is just GONE!"
"Finally," I said, my voice dropping to convey total defeat, "Ruru just collapses on the ground, completely exhausted from his frantic search!"
"He's lying there, probably staring at the sky, thinking about those tantalizing words: 'the destruction of snakes at the sacrifice of Janamejaya' and 'the deliverance by Astika.' His mind is spinning with questions that will never be answered!"
"The text says he was 'greatly confounded and seemed to be deprived of his senses!' Basically, the ultimate cliffhanger broke his brain!"
"But then," I said, brightening up, "Ruru has that moment of clarity that comes after total exhaustion. He regains consciousness and thinks, 'Wait a minute. Sahasrapat said I'd learn this from other Brahmanas. And I KNOW other Brahmanas!'"
"Specifically, he knows the ULTIMATE Brahmana source—his own father, Pramati! The guy who's part of the legendary Bhrigu lineage and definitely knows all the important stories!"
"So Ruru picks himself up, dusts himself off, and heads home with renewed hope!"
"He gets home and approaches his father with the kind of respectful enthusiasm that makes any parent's heart sing:" I continued.
"'Dad, I just had the most incredible educational experience, and I NEED to know about King Janamejaya's snake sacrifice and how Astika saved all the serpents. Can you please tell me the whole story?'"
"And Pramati—being the wise, loving father that he is—looks at his son who has clearly been through some kind of transformative experience and says, 'Of course, my boy! Sit down and I'll tell you everything!'"
"And THAT," I concluded with satisfaction, "is how the universe teaches us that sometimes the best teachers are the ones who've been there all along!"
"Sahasrapat's vanishing act wasn't cruelty—it was redirection! He was basically saying, 'You want the full story? Go to someone who loves you enough to tell it properly and stick around for follow-up questions!'"
"Plus," I added with a grin, "it taught Ruru that wisdom isn't just found in chance encounters with transformed sages. Sometimes the greatest knowledge is sitting at your own family dinner table!"
"So now we have the perfect setup," I said, looking around at the engaged faces of the sages. "Ruru has been completely transformed from vengeful vigilante to wise student. He's learned about compassion, justice, the value of all life, and the importance of seeking knowledge from those who love you."
"And he's about to hear the most epic tale of divine conflict, royal revenge, and heroic intervention from the person best qualified to tell it—his own father!"
"We've gone from individual tragedy to personal growth to family wisdom. The stage is perfectly set for the MAIN EVENT!"
Saunaka was nodding approvingly. "Beautifully structured! You've shown how the search for wisdom often leads us back to the sources of love and knowledge we already possess."
"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "And now we're finally ready for Pramati to tell the complete tale that will connect all these individual stories to the greater universal narrative of the Mahabharata itself!"
"Because the story of Janamejaya's snake sacrifice isn't just about serpents and kings—it's about how individual actions create far-reaching consequences, and how wisdom and courage can save entire species from extinction!"