आस्तीक पर्व — जरत्कारु की कथा

Sauti said: About this time, the great ascetic Jaratkaru, becoming a Yatra-Sayan Griha, roamed over the world.

The greatly powerful Rishi roamed about, bathing in various sacred waters and practising various vows, difficult to be practised by others.

The Rishi lived on air and was completely free from all worldly desires, thus becoming daily lean and emaciated. Thus did he see his ancestors, hanging in the hole, their heads downwards.

By a cord of Virana roots, having only one thread entire. Even that one thread was gradually being eaten away by the rat, living in that hole.

They were in the hole without food; they were emaciated, pitiable and eagerly desirous of emancipation. Jaratkaru, in humble guise, came near these pitiable ones and asked them,

"Who are you that are hanging by the cord of Virana roots, of which the single weak root that is still left is gradually being eaten away by the rat that lives in this hole.

The little that remains of the single thread will soon be cut away, It is quite evident that you will then fall into the pit with your heads downwards.

I have been moved with pity, seeing that you hang with your faces downwards and that you are overtaken by a great calamity. What good can I do to you?

Tell me without delay whatever your this great calamity can be relived with a fourth, or a third or even a half of my this asceticism.

O relieve yourselves even with the whole of my asceticism. I consent to it. Do as you please.

The Ancestors said: O Venerable Brahmachari, you wish to relieve us. But, O best of the twice-bom, you cannot relieve us with your asceticism.

O child, O best of speakers, we have also the fruits of our asceticism, but O Brahmana, we are falling down into this hell for the want of offspring.

The Grandsire has said, 'the offspring is the great Dharma.' O child, hanging as we are in this hole, our intellect has grown dim.

Therefore we cannot know you, although you are known for your greatness all over the world. You are venerable, you are of good fortune, you sorrowfully grieve for us.

Hear, O Brahmana, who we are and for whom you are lamenting. We are Rishis of the name of Yayavara of rigid vows.

O Rishi, we have fallen from a holy region for want of offspring. Our great penances have not been destroyed, therefore, we have still one cord left (to hang from.)

We have only one thread (son) now, but it matters little whether he is or he is not. Unfortunate we are! We have a thread in one, known as Jaratkaru, well-read in the Vedas and Vedangas, who has adopted asceticism. He is high-souled, he has his senses under complete control, he is a man of rigid vows, a great ascetic.

But from his temptation for the merits of asceticism we have been reduced to this state. He was no wife and no son, no friend, no relatives.

This is the reason why we hang in this hole, our consciousness gone, like one having no one to look after. If you meet him, tell him out of kindness for us,

“Your ancestors are hanging in grief with their faces downwards. O holy man, take a wife and beget offspring.

O Rishi, O holy man, you are the only thread in the line of your ancestors.” O Brahmana, the Virana root that you see and on which we hang,

Is the cord representing our race. O Brahmana, these threads of the Virana roots which you see eaten up (by the rat) are we ourselves, who have been eaten up by Time. This root which you see half eaten,

And by which we are hanging in this hole is he who has adopted asceticism. The rat which you see is Time of infinite strength.

He (Time) is slowly killing the wretch Jaratkaru, engaged in asceticism, having been tempted by its merits but wanting in prudence and heart.

O excellent one, his asceticism cannot save us. The roots being torn, falling off from heavens, deprived of consciousness by Time.

Behold like sinful wretches we are going downwards. On our going with all our relatives down into this hole,

Eaten up by Time, he too will sink with us into hell. Whether it is asceticism, or sacrifice, or other holy acts,

O child, they are inferior and cannot be equal to a son. O child, seeing all this, tell every thing to the Rishi Jaratkaru.

O Brahmana, becoming our saviour, you should, out of kindness towards us, tell him in detail all that you have seen, so that it might induce him to take a wife and beget offspring.

O excellent man, who are you? You niay be one of his friends, for you grieve for us like a friend and as one belonging to our race. We wish to hear who you are that stand before us.