(Astika Parva continued)
"Sauti said, "Hearing the respective speeches of all the snakes, and hearing also the words of Vasuki, Elapatra began to address them, saying. That sacrifice is not one that can be prevented. Nor is king Janamejaya of the Pandava race from whom this fear proceedeth, such that he can be hindered. The person, O king, who is afflicted by fite hath recourse to fate alone; nothing else can be his refuge. Ye best of snakes, this fear of ours hath fate for its root. Fate alone must be our refuge in this. Listen to what I say. When that curse was uttered, ye best of snakes, in fear I lay crouching on the lap of our mother. Ye best of snakes, and O lord (Vasuki) of great splendour, from that place I heard the words the sorrowing gods spake unto the Grandsire. The gods said, O Grandsire, thou god of gods who else than the cruel Kadru could thus, after getting such dear children, curse them so, even in thy presence? And, O Grandsire, by thee also hath been spoken, with reference to those words of hers, 'Be it so. We wish to know the reason why thou didst not prevent her.' Brahman replied, "The snakes have multiplied. They are cruel, terrible in form and highly poisonous. From desire of the good of my creatures, I did not prevent Kadru then. Those poisonous serpents and
others who are sinful, biting others for no faults, shall, indeed, be destroyed, but not they who are harmless and virtuous. And hear also, how, when the hour comes, the snakes may escape this dreadful calamity. There shall be bom in the race of the Yayavarus a great Rishi known by the name of Jaratkaru, intelligent, with passions under complete control. That Jaratkaru shall have a son of the name of Astika. He shall put a stop to that sacrifice. And those snakes who shall be virtuous shall escape therefrom. The gods said, O thou truth-knowing one, on whom will Jaratkaru, that foremost Muni, gifted with great energy and asceticism, beger that illustrious son Brahmu answered, Gifted with great energy, that best Brahmana shall heget a son possessed of great energy on a wife of the same name as his. Vasuki, the king of the snakes, hath a sister of the name of Jaratkaru, the son, of whom I speak, shall be born of her, and he shall liberate the snakes
"Elapatra continued, "The gods then said unto the Grandsire, Be it so. And the lord Brahman, having said so unto the gods, went to heaven. O Vasuki, I see before me that sister of thine known by the name of Jaratkaru. For relieving us from fear, give her as alms unto him (i.e., the Rishi), Jaratkaru, of excellent vows, who shall roum abegging for a bride. This means of release hath been heard of by me!"
(Astika Parva continued)
"Sauti said. 'O best of regenerate ones, hearing these words of Elapatra, all the serpents, in great delight, exclaimed, Well said, well said!" And from that time Vasuki set about carefully bringing up that maiden, viz., his sister Jaratkaru. And he took great delight in rearing her.
"And much time did not elapse from this, when the gods and the Asuras, assembling together, churned the abode of Varuna. And Vasaki, the foremost of all gifted with strength, became the churning-cord. And directly the work was over, the king of the snakes presented himself before the Grandsire. And the gods, accompanied by Vasuki, addressed the Grandsire, saying. O Jord. Vasuki is suffering great affliction from fear of this mother's curse). It behoveth thee to root out the sorrow, begotten of the curse of his mother, that hath pierced the heart of Vasuki desirous of the weal of his race. The king of the snakes is ever our
friend and benefactor. O Lord of the gods, be gracious unto him and assuage his mind's fever. LOL "Brahman replied. "O ye immortals. I have thought, in my mind. of what ye have said. Let the king of the snakes do that which hath been communicated to him before by Elapatra. The time hath arrived. Those only shall be destroyed that are wicked, not those that are virtuous. Jaratkaru hath been born, and that Brahmana is engaged in hard ascetic penances. Let Vasuki, at the
proper time, bestow on him his sister. Ye gods, what hath been spoken by the snake Elapatra for the weal of the snakes is true
and not otherwise."
"Sauti continued, "Then the king of the snakes, Vasuki, afflicted with the curse of his mother, hearing these words of the
Grundsire, and intending to bestow his sister of the Rishi Jaratkaru, commanded all the serpents, a large numbers of whom
were ever attentive to their duties, to watch the Rishi Jaratkaru, saying, "When the lord Jaratkaru will ask for a wife, come
immediately and inform me of it. The weal of our race depends upon it."
(Astika Parva continued)
"Saunaka said, "O son of Sata, I desire to know the reason why the illustrious Rishi whom thou hast named Jaratkaru came to
be so called on earth. It behoveth thee to tell us the etymology of the name Jaratkaru."
"Sauti said, Jara is said to mean waste, and Karu implies huge. This Rishi's body had been huge, and he gradually reduced it by
severe ascetic penances. For the same reason, O Brahmanas, the sister of Vasuki was called Jaratkaru.
The virtuous Saunaka, when he heard this, smiled and addressing Ugrasravas said. "It is even so."
Saunaka then said, 'I have heard all that thou hast before recited. I desire to know how Astika was hom
Sauti, on hearing these words, begin to relate according to what was written in the Sastras.
"Sauti said, "Vasuk), desirous of bestowing his sister upon the Rishi Jaratkaru, gave the snakes (necessary) orders. But days went on, yet that wise Muni of rigid vows, deeply engaged in ascetic devotions, did not seek for a wife. That high-souled Rishi, engaged in studies and deeply devoted to asceticism, his vital seed under full control, fearlessly wandered over the whole earth and had no wish for a wife.
"Afterwards, once upon a time, there was a king, O Brahmana, of the name of Parikshit, born in the race of the Kauravas. And, like his great-grandfather Pandu of old, he was of mighty arms, the first of all bearers of bows in battle, and fond of hunting. And the monarch wandered about, hunting deer, and wild boars, and wolves, and buffaloes and various other kinds of wild animals. One day, having pierced a deer with a sharp arrow and slung his bow on his back, he penetrated into the deep forest, searching for the animal here and there, like the illustrious Rudra himself of old pursuing in the heavens, bow in hand, the deer which was Sacrifice, itself turned into that shape, after the piercing. No deer that was pierced by Parikshit had ever escaped in the wood with life. This deer, however wounded as before, fled with speed, as the (proximate) cause of the king's attainment to heaven. And the deer that Parikshit--that king of men--had pierced was lost to his gaze and drew the monarch far away into the forest. And fatigued and thirsty, he came across a Muni, in the forest, seated in a cow-pen and drinking to his fill the froth oozing out of the mouths of calves sucking the milk of their dams. And approaching him hastily, the monarch, hungry and fatigued, and raising his bow, asked that Muni of rigid vows, saying. O Brahmana, I am king Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu A deer pierced by me hath been lost. Hast thou seen it? But that Muni observing then the vow of silence, spoke not unto him a word. And the king in anger thereupon placed upon his shoulder a dead snake, taking it up with the end of his bow. The Muni suffered him to do it without protest. And he spoke not a wond, good or bad. And the king seeing him in that state, cast off his anger and became sorry. And he returned to his capital but the Rishi continued in the same state. The forgiving Muni, knowing that the monarch who was a tiger amongst kings was true to the duties of his order, cursed him not, though insulted.