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Mahabharata
Astika Parva (III)
Names of Nagas. Story of Shash-Naga. Coversation of Vasuki and other snakes. Story of Jaratkaru. Asceticism of Jaratkaru. King keeps dead snake on shoulder of Rishi.
Shaunaka said:
O son of Suta, you have told us why the snakes were cursed by their mother; and why Vinata also cursed her son.
You have told us the bestowal of boons on Kadru and Vinata by their husband; you have also told us the names of the two sons of Vinata.
0 son of Suta, you have not told us the names of the snakes (the sons of Kadru). We are anxious to know the names of the chief
ones.
Sauti said:
0 Rishi, for fear of being lengthy, I shall not mention the names of all the snakes. But hear, I shall only mention the names of the chief ones.
Shesha was bom first and then Vasuki. (There were bom) Airavata, Takshaka, Karkotaka, Dhananjaya, Kalakeya, Mani, Purana, Pinjaraka, Elapatara, Vamana, Nila, Anila, Kalamsha, Shabala, Aryaka, Ugraka, Kalashpotaka, Sumanakhya, Dadhimukha, Vimalapindaka, Apta, Karkotaka, Shankha, Valisikha, Nisthanaka, Hemaguha, Nahusha, Pingala, Bahyakama, Hastipada, Mudgarapindaka, Kambala, Ashvatara, Kaliyaka, Vritta, Samvartaka, Padma, Mahapadma, Shankhamukha, Kushmandaka, Kshemaka, Pindaraka, Karavira, Pushpadanshtraka, Bilvaka, Bilvapandura, Mushakada, Shankhashiras, Pumabhadra, Haridraka, Aparajita, Jyotika, Srivaha, Kauravya, Dhritarashtra, Shankhapinda, Virajas, Subahu, Shalipinda, Prabhakara, Hastipinda, Pitharaka, Sumukha, Kaunapashana, Kuthara, Kunjara, Kumuda, Kumudakshya, Tittiri, Halika, Kardama, Bahumulaka, Karakara, Akarkara, Kundodara and Mahodara.
0 best of the twice-bom, I have told you the names of the chief snakes. For fear of being tedious, I have not told you the names of the rest. /
0 Rishi, the sons and the grandsons of the snakes were innumerable, therefore, I shall not mention their names to you.
0 Rishi, the number of snakes defies calculation in this world. There are many thousands and millions of the snakes.
Shaunaka said:
O child, you have told us of many greatly powerful and unconquerable serpents. What did they do after hearing of the curse?
Sauti said :
Illustrious and famous Shesha, having left (his mother) Kadru, practised austere penances, living on air and rigidly observing vows.
He practised his penances, going to Gandhamadana, Badari, Gokarna, the forest of Pushkara and the foot of the Himalayas.
i He passed his days in these sacred places, rigidly observing his vows, completely
controlling his passions and concentrating his mind.
The Grandsire saw him with knotted hair, clad in rags, his flesh, skin and renews dried up owing to the austere penances he was practising.
The Grandsire, addressing that penance-practising ascetic, said, "0 Shesha, what are you doing? let the welfare of the worlds also engage your thoughts.
0 sinless one, you are giving pain to all creatures by your austere penances.O Shesha, tell me the desire of your mind."
Shesha said :
My brothers are all of wicked hearts. I do not wish to live with them. Kindly sanction this.
They are jealous of one another like great enemies. I am, therefore, engaged in penances. I shall not even see them.
They never show any kindness for Vinata and her son, who is our other brother, the bird of the air.
They always envy him. He too is much stronger than (all of us), owing to the boon granted by our father, the illustrious and noble Kashyapa.
Therefore, I am practising penances and I shall cast off this body of mine, so that I may not live with them even in another life.
Sauti said :
When Shesha thus spoke, the Grandsire told him, "O Shesha, I know the character of your brothers.
(And I know also) their great danger owing to their offence against their mother. 0 snake, a remedy has been already provided by me.
You should not grieve for your brother. 0 Shesha, whatever you desire possess, ask it from me.
I am highly pleased with you and I shall grant you a boon today. 0 best of snakes, it is very good that your heart has been set on virtue. Let your heart be more and more firmly set on virtue."
Shesha said:
0 divine Grandsire, O lord of all, I ask this boon let my heart always delight in virtue and in blessed penances.
Brahma said:
0 Shesha, I am highly pleased with your self-denial and love of peace. By my command let the following act be done by you for the good of all creatures.
Bearing properly and well, this earth which is so very unsteady, towns retreats and seas, with all her mountains and forests with her 0 Shesha, remain in the way as she may be steady.
Shesha said:
0 divine lord of all creatures, 0 granter of boons, 0 lord of the earth, 0 the lord of every created thing, 0 the lord of the universe, I shall hold the earth steady, as you command. 0 Prajapati, place it upon my head.
Brahma said:
0 best of snakes, go underneath the earth. She herself will make a passage for you. 0 Shesha, you will certainly do what is highly valued by me by holding the earth (on your head.)
Sauti said :
The elder brother of the king of the snakes, entering into a hole, went to the other side of the earth. He held that goddess (earth) with her belt of seas all around her.
Brahma said :
0 Shesha, 0 best of snakes, you are the Dharma, because you hold the earth alone with your huge body, with every thing on her, what I myself and Indra can do.
Sauti said :
Thus does the snake, Shesha, the greatly powerful lord Ananta, live underneath the earth, alone supporting the world at the command of Brahma.
Then the Grandsire, the illustrious lord of the immortals, gave Supama (Garuda), the son of Vinata as Ananta's help.
Sauti said:
The best of snakes, Vasuki, hearing the curse of his mother, pondered over how to make it abortive.
He held a consultation with all his brothers. Airavata and others, who were virtuous.
Vasuki said:
0 sinless ones, the curse on us is well known to you. We should try to neutralise it.
Remedies exist for all curses, but no remedy can avail those who are cursed by their mother.
Hearing that this curse was uttered before the immutable, the infinite and the true one, my heart trembles.
Our annihilation has certainly come; otherwise the immutable Lord should have prevented our mother from uttering the curse.
Therefore, let us consult today how we may secure the safety of the snakes. Let us not waste time.
You are all wise and discerning. We shall all consult together and find out a means of deliverance,
As did the celestial, in the days of yore, to regain the lost Agni who had concealed himself within a cave, so that the sacrifice of Janamejaya for the destruction of the snakes may not take place and so that we may not meet with our destruction.
Sauti said :
Thus addressed, all the offspring of Kadru assembled together; they were all wise in counsel and they gave their opinions (one after the other.)
One party said, "We shall assume the guise of Brahmana Rishis and asked Janamejaya not to hold the sacrifice."
Others, thinking themselves wise, said, "We shall all become his favourite counsellors.
He will then certainly ask our advice in all things and we shall then give him such advice as may obstruct the sacrifice.
The king, thinking us wise, will certainly ask our advice about his sacrifice and we shall say, "Don't hold it."
We shall point him put many serious evils in this world and the next, with reasons and causes, so that the sacrifice may not take place.
(We can do this also); let one of the snakes by biting kill the persons, who will try to do good to the king and who will be well-acquainted with the rites of the Snake-sacrifice and who will be appointed as the sacrificial priest. And by their death, the sacrifice will not be completed.
We shall also bite those who are acquainted with the Snakes- sacrifice and who may be appointed as the Ritvijas of the sacrifice. Thus we shall obtain our object."
Some other snakes, who were kind hearted and virtuous, said, "Your this advice is not good. It is not proper to kill Brahmanas."
That remedy is proper in a danger which rests on righteousness. Unrighteousness finally destroys the world."
Other snakes said : "We shall extinguish the sacrificial fire by becoming clouds luminous with lightning and pouring down showers.
Other good snakes said, "Let us go in the night and steal away the vessel of the Soma. This will obstruct the sacrifice.
Or let the snakes go in hundred and thousands to the sacrifice, bite every one and thus create a terror.
Or let the serpents defile the pure food with their urine and dung."
Others said, "Let us become the Ritvijas of the king and obstruct the sacrifice by saying at the very outset, 'Give us our Dakshina."
The king, being placed in our power, will do whatever we will ask him to do." Other said, "When the king will play in the waters,
Let us carry him to our home and kept him bound, so that the sacrifice may not take place." Others, thinking themselves wise, said,
"Let us go to the king and bite him, so that our object may be accomplished. By his death the root of all evil will be destroyed.
0 snake, that hears by the eyes, this is the final result of our deliberations. 0 king, do speedily what you-think proper.
Having said this, they all eagerly looked at the best of the snakes, Vasuki. And Vasuki, after reflecting a while, told the snakes,
"0 snakes, your this final determination does not seem worthy of adoption. The advice, that all give, are not to my liking.
What can I suggest which would be for your good! I think the favour of (our father) the illustrious Kashyapa can alone do us good.
0 snakes, my mind does not know which of your suggestions to adopt for the welfare of my race and mine.
It is this that makes me so anxious, for the credit and the discredit of the act will rest on me alone.
Sauti said:
Having heard the words that fell from the snakes and also what fell from Vasuki, Elapatra addressed them thus.
"That sacrifice is not such as would be prevented and Janamejaya of the Pandava race, who is our great terror, is not such as he can be obstructed.
0 King, he who is afflicted by Fate, has his recourse to Fate alone. Nothing else can be his refuge.
0 best of the snakes, the root of our terror is Fate and therefore. Fate alone must be our refuge. Listen to what I say.
0 best of the snakes, when that curse was uttered, I lay in fear, crouching on my mother's lap. 0 best of the snakes, 0 Lord, 0 snake of great splendour, I heard from that place the sorrowing gods speaking to the Grandsire saying,
The celestial said:
O Grandsire, 0 god of gods, who but Kadru, after getting such dear children, can curse them even in your presence!
O Grandsire, you have also said, "Be it so." We wish to know the reason why you did not prevent her,
Brahma said:
The snakes have multiplied, they are cruel, terrible in form and deadly poisonous. I did not prevent Kadru (from uttering the curse) from the desire of doing good to all creatures.
The poisonous serpents that have always the biting propensity, those that bite for little faults and those who are sinful, will be destroyed, but not those that are virtuous.
Hear, how the snakes may escape from this dreadful calamity when the time will come,
There will be bom in the race of Yayavaras, a great Rishi, known by the name
of Jaratkaru, who will be intelligent, greatly ascetic and self-controlled.
That Jaratkaru will have a son, named Astika, who will also be a great Rishi. He will put a stop to the Snake-sacrifice. Those snakes that will be virtuous will escape (from the Snake-sacrificial fire.)
The celestial said:
0 Brahma, in whom will Jaratkaru, the foremost of the Rishis, gifted with great powers and asceticism, beget that illustrious son?
Brahma said :
The best of Brahmanas, the greatly powerful (Jaratkaru) will beget a greatly powerful son on his wife who will bear the same name as his.
Vasuki, the king of the snakes, has a sister, named Jaratkaru: the son I speak of will be born in her womb and he will save the snakes.
Elapatra said:
The celestial said to the Grandsire, "Be it so," and the lord Brahma, having said all this to the celestial went to heaven.
0 Vasuki, I see before me your that sister, known by the name of Jaratkaru. To save us from this great calamity, give her as a gift to the Rishi Jaratkaru of rigid vows, who will roam about begging for a bride. This means of our safety has been heard by me.
Sauti said:
0 best of the twice bom, hearing what Elapatra said, all the snakes exclaimed in joy, "Well said! Excellent man!"
From that day Vasuki carefully kept that maiden, his sister Jaratkaru and he took great pleasure in rearing her up.
Not long after this, the Devas and the Asuras chumer the abode of Varuna (Ocean).
And the greatly powerful Vasuki became its churning cord. As soon as this work was done, he appeared the grandsire.
The celestial with Vasuki addressed the Grandsire thus, "0 lord, Vasuki is suffering from the fear of the curse.
You should draw out the dart, begotten by his mother's curse, which pierces the heart of Vasuki who is desirous of the weal of his race.
The king of the snakes is always our friend and benefactor; 0 lord of the gods, be gracious to him and remove the fever of his mind.
Brahma said:
0 immortals, I have thought in my mind what you have said. Let the king of the snakes do what Elapatra had told him before. The time has come. The wicked only will be destroyed and not the virtuous.
Jaratkaru is (already) bom; that Brahmana is now engaged in penances. Let him (Vasuki), at the proper time, give his sister to Jaratkaru.
0 celestial, what had been said by Elapatra for the weal of the snakes is true. It is not otherwise.
Sauti said:
The king of the snakes, a afflicted with the curse, having heard what the Grandsire said, commanded all the snakes,
A. large number of them who are always attentive to their duties, to watch the Rishi Jaratkaru. He said,
"When the Lord Jaratkaru will ask for a wife, come immediately and inform me of it. The weal of our race depends upon it."
Shaunaka said:
0 son of Suta, I desire to know why the illustrious Rishi whom you call Jaratkaru came to be so called. You should tell us the Etymology of the name of Jaratkaru.
Sauti said:
Jara, means "waste" Karu means "huge." The body of this Rishi was huge, but he reduced it by severe penances. 0 Brahmana, because he thus reduced his body, he was called Jaratkaru. The sister of Vasuki was called Jaratkaru for the same reason.
When the pious Shaunaka heard this, he smiled and addressing Ugrashrava (Sauti) said, "It is true."
Shaunaka said:
I have heard all that you have narrated. Now I wish to hear how Astika was born.
Sauti said:
Vasuki, wishing to bestow his sister on Rishi Jaratkaru, gave the snakes (all necessary) orders.
Many years rolled away, but the Rishi of rigid vows, deeply engaged in ascetic devotions, did not seek for a wife.
That high-souled Rishi, his sexual passion completely under control, engaged in deep study and devoted to rigid asceticism, fearlessly roamed over the world, having no desire for a wife.
0 Brahmana, once upon a time there was a king, named Parikshit, born in the race of the Kurus.
He was like his grandfather, mighty in arms, the best of all bow-men in battle and was very fond of hunting.
That king of the world roamed about, hunting deer, wild boars, hyena and buffaloes and various other wild animals.
One day, having pierced a deer with an arrow, he slang his bow on his back and entered into a deep forest.
He searched for it in the forest here and there, as Rudra did in heaven for the sacrificial deer which was pierced with his arrow.
Never had a deer, pierced by Parikshit, escaped in the forest with life. This deer, however, wounded as the others, were fled away with speed. It shows the proximity of the king's going to heaven (death).
The deer, that the king of men, Parikshit wounded, was soon lost out of his sight and the king went in pursuit it far into the forest.
Fatigued and thirsty he came upon a Rishi, in the forest, seated in a cow-shed, drinking the froth oozing out of the mouths of the calves sucking the milk of their mothers. Coming to him with all haste, the king asked that Rishi of great austerity, "0 Brahmana, I am king Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu.
Have you seen where the deer pierced by me has gone?" But the Rishi, observing the vow of silence, did not reply to him.
The king being angry took up a dead snake with the end of his bow and placed it round the neck of the Rishi, but the Rishi did not prevent from doing it.
He did not even say a word, either good or bad. Seeing him in that state, the king cast off his anger and became very sorry. He went away to his capital and the Rishi remained as he was. The forgiving great Rishi knowing him, that best of kings,
To be true to the duties of his order, did not curse him. That best of kings, the best of the Bharata race, also did not know that the Rishi was a virtuous man. It is for this that he thus insulted him. This Rishi had a young, greatly powerful and exceedingly ascetic son,
Who was named Shringi. He was full of wrath, severe in his vows and difficult to be appeased. He sometimes worshipped with great attention his (preceptor) Brahma, seated on his seat and ever engaged in doing good to all creatures. Commanded by him, he was coming home one day.
When his friend (Krishna) in a playful mood, laughingly spoke to him about his father. The Rish’s son, ever wrathful and like poison itself, hearing what had happened to his father, blazed up in a rage.
Krishna said:
0 Shringi, do not be proud. Ascetic as you are and possessed of great powers, (go and see) your father is carrying a dead body (on his shoulder),
Don't speak with the sons of the Rishis like ourselves, who are deep in asceticism, who have knowledge of truth and who have attained success.
Where is your that manliness and where are your those proud words, when you see your father carrying a dead snake?
0 best of Rishis, your father did nothing to meet with this treatment. I am pained as if it has been done to me.
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