The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section XXXVIII
Section XXXVIII.
( 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 such that it may not take place. Nor is king Janamejaya of the Pandava race such (as can be hindered), from whom this our great fear proceedeth. The person, O king, who is afflicted by fate 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 ye to what I say. When that curse was uttered, ye best of snakes, in fear I had crouched 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 thereupon unto the Grand-father. The gods said:—O Grand-father, thou god of gods, who else than the cruel Kadru could thus, after getting such dear children, curse them so, even in they presence? And O Grand-father, by thee also hath been spoken in reference to those words of hers, Be it so. We wish to know the reason why thou didst not prevent her.—And Brahma thereupon replied,—The snakes have been many, cruel, terrible in form, and highly poisonous. From desire of the good of my creatures, I did not prevent her then. Those poisonous serpents that are always disposed to bite, they who bite for little faults, they who are sinful, biting for no faults, shall indeed be destroyed, not they who are harmless and virtuous. And hear ye, how, when the hour comes, the snakes may escape this dreadful calamity. There shall be born in the race of the Yayavaras a great Rishi known by the name of Jaratkaru, intelligent, given up to ascetic devotions, and having his passions under complete control. That Jaratkaru shall have a son also given up to ascetic penances, of name Astika. He shall put a stop to that sacrifice. And those snakes who shall be virtuous shall escape therefrom.—And the gods replied,—O thou truth-knowing one, in whom shall Jaratkaru that first of munis, gifted with great energy and asceticism, beget his illustrious son?—And Brahma answered,—Gifted with great energy, that best of Brahmanas shall beget a son possessed of great energy in a wife of the same name with him. Vasuki the king of the snakes hath a sister, of name Jaratkaru; the son of whom I speak shall be born in her, and he shall liberate the snakes.—'
"Elapatra continued, 'And the gods said unto the Grand-father—Be it so. And the lord Brahma 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, the Rishi Jaratkaru, of excellent vows, who shall roam abegging for a bride. This means of release hath been heard of by me."
And so ends the thirty-eighth Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.