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Janamejaya is not a witness of Mahaabhaarat, but in fact what we read as Mahaabhaarat is that only which Vaishampaayan Jee told him. Thus he is a listener and Vaishampaayan Jee is the orator of Mahaabhaarat.

Janamejaya was the one of the four sons of Pareekshit. According to Bhaagvat Puraan their names were - Janamejaya, Shrutsen, Bheemsen, and Ugrasen. Janamejaya had two sons - Shataaneek and Shankukarn. When Janamejaya knew that his father died by the bite of Takshak Naag, he decided to do a Yagya, called Sarp Yagya (Snake Yagya) in which he decided to sacrifice all Naag including Takshak. As the Yagya started, and the Aahuti was given to call Naag, small and big, old and young, male and female, all kinds of Naag started falling in the Yagya fire. Seeing this all Naag got very upset. Takshak immediately went to Indra to ask for his shelter. He said - "You may cling to the legs of my throne, you should be safe there." So Takshak clung there with the legs of Indra's throne.

When for some time many Naag fell in the sacrificial fire and Takshak did not appear, Janamejaya asked - "Where is Takshak? I want him to fall here. I am not interested in these ones." Purohit said - "He has clung to the throne of Indra." Janamejaya said angrily - "Then invoke Indra. He has given him shelter, lt him also die with him." So Purohit started giving Aahuti to call Indra. Now Indra's throne started shaking and falling towards Janamejaya's Yagya Kund. Seeing this Indra got worried.

Two Versions to Stop the Sarp Yagya
Now there are two versions as how that Yagya was stopped.
(1) According to Bhaagvat Puraan, 12/3, Dev Guru Brihaspati Jee advised Janamejaya - "Killing Takshak is not your job, because Takshak has taken Amrit and is immortal. Hey Raajan, All living beings pass their lives according to their Karm. Many people die from snake bite, or thunder, or fire, but this is only for saying sake, because in reality everybody gets his death according to his Karm. By doing this Yagya, you are not going to achieve anything good except killing innocent snakes, so stop doing this, because everybody enjoys the results of his own Karm." Then he stopped that Yagya and Indra's throne got stopped from falling.

(2) By second version, according to MBH, G-0-Prolog/11, Aasteek Muni went to Janamejaya's Yagya and praised about Janamejaya's Yagya. Janamejaya liked his talks and wished to bestow him a boon. Although King's Purohit etc stopped him bestowing it at that time saying that he could do that after Takshak had fallen in the Yagya, but, by Destiny, Janamejaya did not listen to him and asked the boy to ask for the boon and instructed his Purohit to call Takshak to be fallen in the Yagya fire. Now when Takshak was called Indra threw Takshak and he himself ran away. Takshak started falling down. Indra had given him a boon that till he was living with him, Agni would not burn him.

Aasteek said - "If you wish to give me a boon, then please end this sacrifice, no more Naag sacrifice." Janamejaya said - "You can ask me anything but stopping this sacrifice." Aasteek said - "I do not want anything else. I want to save my maternal relations." Braahman said - "Let this Braahman receive the boon." And thus the Takshak was saved.

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