Astika Parva — Story of Jaratkaru

Sauti said : Thereupon Vasuki said to the Rishi Jaratkaru, “This maiden has the same name as yours. She is my sister and is an ascetic.

I shall support her, O best of Brahmanas and therefore accept her. O Rishi, I shall protect her with all my abilities. O best of Rishis, she has been brought up by me for you.”

The Rishi said: It is settled between us that I shall not maintain this maiden and she will not do anything that would be displeasing to me. If she does, I shall leave her.

Sauti said: When a promise was given by the snake that he would maintain his sister, Jaratkaru went to the house of the snake.

Thereupon the virtuous and veteran Rishi, learned in Mantras and observant of rigid vows, accepted her hands, given to him in due rites.

He then being much adored by the Rishis lived with his wife in the beautiful house set apart for him by the king of the snakes.

In that house was a bedstead covered with valuable coverlets. Jaratkaru slept (in that bedstead) with his wife.

The excellent man (Jaratkaru) made an agreement with his wife, saying "You should not do any thing or say any thing that will be displeasing to me."

I shall then leave you and no longer live in the house, if you do any such thing. Bear in mind these words that I have spoken.

The sister of the snake, in great anxiety and sorrow said, 'Be it so.'

The illustrious girl, moved by the desire of doing good to her relatives, served her husband of hard life with the means of Shveta Kakiya, (i.e. with the wakefulness of the dog, the timidity of the dear and the sharp instinct of crows to understand signs.)

One day the sister of Vasuki, when her season of impurity came, bathed according to custom and went to the great Rishi, her husband.

Thereupon she became quick with child and the embryo was like fire. It was greatly effulgent and was as resplendent as the god of fire himself.

It began to grow like the moon of the white fort-night. A few days after, the greatly famous Jaratkaru.

Placing his head on the lap of his wife, slept, looking like one fatigued. When the Brahmana was thus sleeping, the sun entered the summit of the western mountain.

O Brahmana, as the day was fading away, fearing the loss of (Jaratkaru's virtue, the excellent sister of Vasuki grew very anxious.

(She thought) “What shall I do now? Shall I wake my husband or shall I not? He leads a hard life and he is virtuous. How can I act so that I may not offend him.

On the one hand is his anger and on the other is his loss of virtue. The loss of virtue is the greater evil of the two, this is my belief.

But if I wake him, he will surely be angry. If the time for prayer passes away (without his doing it,) he will certainly sustain the loss of virtue.

Having thus thought over the matter, the sweet-voiced snake Jaraikaru, thus spoke to the Rishi, resplendent with asceticism and lying like a mass of flame, "O great Lord, arise, the sun is setting."

O Illustrious man, O Rishi of rigid vows, perform your Sandhya (prayer) after touching water. The time for Agnihotra has come. These moments are beautiful and fearful also.

O Lord, the evening is now gently covering the western sky. Having been thus addressed, the illustrious great ascetic Jaratkaru,

His lips quivering in anger, spoke these words to his wife, "O snake, you have insulted me.

I shall no longer live with you, I shall go away whence I came. O lady of the snake-race, I know it for certain, the Sun has no power to set (at the usual time) if I remain asleep. A man cannot remain in the place where he is insulted,

Far less can remain a man like me, who am religious and those who are like me. Being thus addressed by her husband, the heart of the sister of Vasuki began to tremble (in fear).

She spoke to him, “O Brahmana, I have not waken you from any desire of insult.

I have done it lest your virtue suffer any loss." Thus being addressed by his wife the great Rishi Jaratkaru, possessed with anger and desirous of forsaking his wife, said to the snake, "O lady of the Naga race, I have never spoken a falsehood, therefore I shall go.

This was my agreement made with you and your brother, O amiable lady, I have passed happily with you. O fair lady, tell your brother,

When I am gone, and on my going away, you should also not grieve for me, that I have left you

Having been thus addressed, the beautiful Jaratkaru, was filled with anxiety and sorrow. Her eyes were full of tears, her face was colourless with fear and her voice choked with sobs. She mustered courage, but her voice was trembling. She joined her hands and thus addressed the Rishi Jaratkaru, "O virtuous man, it is not proper for you to leave me.

You are always in virtue, so, I am always engaged in doing good, O best of Brahmanas, the object for which I was bestowed on you.

as Has not been yet accomplished. Unfortunate am I! What shall I speak to Vasuki? O excellent Rishi, the son, desired by my relatives afflicted by their mother's curse, to be begotten by you on me, is not as yet born. The welfare of my relatives depends on the son begotten by you.

Moved by the desire of doing good to my race, so that my connection with you be fruitful, O Brahmana, I entreat you not to go away.

O excellent one, high-souled as you are, why should you leave me who have committed no fault? My conception is not yet apparent."

Thus addressed, the great ascetic Rishi spoke to his wife Jaratkaru, these words, proper and suitable to the occasion.

O fortunate lady, the being that is now in your womb, is like the god of fire himself. He is a Rishi, greatly virtuous and a master of the Veda and the Vedangas.

Having said this, the virtuous and great Rishi Jaratkaru went away, his heart firmly fixed on practising severest asceticism again.