The Mahabharata
Book 1: Adi Parva
Kisari Mohan Ganguli, tr.
[1883-1896]
SECTION XXXIX
(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 Vasuki, 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 lord, Vasuki is suffering great
affliction from fear of (his 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.'
"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 Grandsire, 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.'"
