Jaratkāru gets his wife

 tataste pannagā ye vai jaratkārau samāhitāḥ

tāmādāya pravṛtiṁ te vāsukeḥ pratyavedayan

Thereupon those snakes, who had been appointed to watch Jaratkāru, knowing his intention, gave information to Vāsuki.

teṣāṁ śrutvā sa nāgendrastāṁ kanyāṁ samalaṅkṛtām

pragṛhyā raṇyamagamatsamīpaṁ tasya pannagaḥ

King of the snakes immediately went to the place where Ṛṣi was, taking with him his sister, decked with various ornaments.

tatra tāṁ bhaikṣyavatkanyāṁ prādāttasmai mahātmane

nāgendro vāsukirbrahmanna sa tāṁ pratyagṛhṇata

O Brāhmaṇa, king of the snakes Vāsuki, having gone there, offered maiden as a gift to that high souled Ṛṣi, but he did not at once accepted her.

asanāmeti vai matvā bhraṇe cāvicārite

mokṣabhāve sthitaścāpi dvandvabhūtaḥ parigrahe

Ṛṣi, thinking her not to be of the same name with him and seeing also that the question of her maintenance was not settled, reflected for a while and hesitated to accept her.

tato nāma sa kanyāyāḥ papraccha bhṛgunandana

vāsukiṁ bharaṇaṁ cāsyā na kuryāmityuvāca ha

O descendant of  Bhṛgu, he then asked Vāsuki the name of the maiden and he told him also: I shall not maintain her.

sautiruvāca

vāsukistvabravīdvākyaṁ jaratkārumṛṣiṁ tadā

sanāmnīṁ tava kanyeyaṁ svasā me tapasānvitā

Sauti said: Thereupon Vāsuki saidto Ṛṣi Jaratkāru: This maiden has the same name as yours. She is my sister and is an ascetic.

bhariṣyāmi ca te bhāryāṁ pratīcchemāṁ dvijottama

rakṣaṇaṁ ca kariṣye ̍syāḥ sarvaśaktyā tapodhana

tvadarthaṁ rakṣyate caiṣā mayā munivarottama

I shall support her, O best of Brāhmaṇas, and therefore accept her. O Ṛṣi, I shall protect her with all my abilities. O best of Ṛṣis, she has been brought up by me for you.

ṛṣiruvāca

na bhariṣyehametāṁ vai eṣa me samayaḥ kṛtaḥ

apriyaṁ ca na kartavyaṁ kṛte caināṁ tyajāmyaham

Ṛṣi said: It is settled between us that I shall not maintain this maiden and she will not do anything that would be displeasing to me. If she does, I shall leave her.

sautiruvāca

pratiśrute tu nāgena bhariṣye bhaginīmiti

jaratkārustadā veśam bhujagasya jagāma ha

Sauti said: When a promise was given by the snake that he would maintain his sister, Jaratkāru went to the house of the snake.

tatra mantravidāṁ śreṣṭhastapovṛddho mahāvrataḥ

jagrāha pāṇiṁ dharmātmā vidhimantrapuraskṛtam

Thereupon virtuous and veteran Ṛṣi, learned in Mantras and observant of rigid vows, accepted her hand, given to him in due rites.

tato vāsagṛhaṁ ramyaṁ pannagendrasya saṁmatam

jagāma bhāryāmādāya stūyamāno maharṣirbhiḥ

He then, being much adored by Ṛṣis, lived with his wife in the beautiful house set apart for him by the king of the snakes.

śayanaṁ tatra saṁklṛptaṁ sparddhyāstaraṇasaṁvṛtam

tatra bhāryāsahāyo vai jaratkāruruvāca ha

In that house was bedstead covered with valuable coverlets. Jaratkāru slept in that bedstead with his wife.

sa tatra samayaṁ cakre bhāryayā bhāryayā saha sattamaḥ

vipriyaṁ me na kartavyaṁ na ca vācyaṁ kadācana

Excellent man Jaratkāru made an egreement with his wife, saying: You should not do anything or say anything that will be displeasing to me.

tyajeyaṁ vipriye ca tvāṁ kṛte vāsaṁ ca te gṛhe

etadgṛhāṇa vacanaṁ mayā yatsamudīritam

I shall then leave you and no longer live in the house, if you do any such thing. Bear in mind these words that I have spoken.

tataḥ paramasaṁvignā svasā nāgapatestadā

atiduḥkhānvitā vākyaṁ tamuvācaivamastviti

Sister of the snake, in great anxiety and sorrow said: Be it so!

tathaiva sā ca bhrtāraṁ duḥkhaśīlamupācarat

upāyaiḥ śvetakākīyaiḥ priyakāmā yaśasvinī

Illustrious girl, moved by desire of doing good to her relatives, served her husband of hard life with the means of Śvata Kākīya - i.e. with the wakefulness of the dog, timidity of the dear and sharp instinct of crows to understand signs.

ṛtukāle tataḥ snātā kadācidvāsukeḥ svasā

bhartāraṁ vai tathānyāyamupatasthe mahāmunim

One day sister of Vāsuki, when her season of impurity came, bathed according to custom and went to great Ṛṣi, her husband.

tatra tasyāḥ samabhavadgarbho jvalanasaṁnibhaḥ

atīva tejasā yukto vaiśvānarasamadyutiḥ

Thereupon she became quick with child and embryo was like fire. He was greatly effulgent and was as resplendent as god of fire himself.

śuklapakṣe yathā somo vyavardhata tathaiva saḥ

tataḥ katipayāhasya jaratkārurmahāyaśāḥ

It began to grow like moon of white fortnight. A few days after, greatly famous Jaratkāru.

utsaṅge ̍syāḥ śiraḥ kṛtvā suṣvāpa parikhinnavat

tasmiṁsca supte viprendre savitā ̍stamiyādgirim

Placing his head on the lap of his wife, slept, looking like one fatigued. When Brāhmaṇa was thus sleeping, sun entered the summit of western mountain.

ahnaḥ parikṣaye brahmaṁstataḥ sā ̍cintayattadā

vāsukerbhaginī bhītā dharmalopānmanasvinī

O Brāhmaṇa, as the day was fading away, fearing the loss of Jaratkāru ̍s virtue, excellent sister of Vāsuki grew very anxious.

kiṁ nu me sukṛtaṁ bhūyādbharturutthāpanaṁ na vā

duḥkhaśīlo hi dharmātmā kathaṁ nāsyaparādhnuyām

She thought: What I should do now? Should I awake my husband or should I not? He leads a hard life and he is virtuous. How can I act so that I may not offend him.

kopo vā dharmaśīlasya dharmalopo ̍thavā punaḥ

dharmalopo garḥyānvai syādityatrākaronmatim

On one hand is his anger and on the other is his loss of virtue. Loss of virtue is greater evil of the two, this is my belief!

utthāpayiṣye yadyenaṁ dhruvaṁ kopaṁ kariṣyati

dharmalopo bhavedasya saṁdhyātikramaṇe dhruvam

But if I awake him, he will surely be angry. If the time for prayer passes away without his doing it, he will certainly sustain the loss of virtue.

iti niścitya manasā jaratkārurbhujaṅgamā

tamṛṣiṁ dīptatapasaṁ śayānamanalopamam

uvācedaṁ vacaḥ ślakṣṇaṁ tato madhurabhāṣiṇī

uttiṣṭha tvṁ mahābhāga sūryo ̍stamupagacchati

Having thus thought over the matter, sweet voiced snake Jaratkāru, thus spoke to Ṛṣi, resplendent with asceticism and lying like a mass of flame: O great Lord! Arise! Sun is setting!

saṁdhyāmupāsva bhagavannapaḥ spṛṣṭvā yatavrataḥ

prāduṣkṛtāgnihotro ̍yaṁ muhūrto ramyadāruṇaḥ

O illustrious man! O Ṛṣi of rigid vows! Perform your Saṅdhya prayer after touching water. Time for Agnihotra has come! These moments are beautiful and fearful also.

saṅdhyā pravartate ceyaṁ paścimāyāṁ diśi prabho

evamuktaḥ sa bhagavān jaratkārurmahātapāḥ

O lord! Evening is now gently covering Western sky. Having been thus addressed, illustrious great ascetic Jaratkāru,

bhāryāṁ prasphuramāṇauṣṭha idaṁ vacanamabravīt

avamānaṁ prayukto ̍yaṁ tvayā mama bhujaṁgame

His lips quivering in anger, spoke these words to his wife: O snake! You have insulted me!

samīpe te na vatsyāmi gamiṣyāmi yathāgatam

śaktirasti na vāmoru mayi supte vibhhāvasoḥ

astaṁ gantuṁ yathākālamiti me hyadi vartate

na cāpyavamatasyeha vāso roceta kasyacit

I shall no longer live with you! I shall go away whence I came. O lady of snake race, I know ir for certain, Sun has no power to set at usual time if I remain asleep. A man cannot remain in the place where he is insulted,

kiṁ punardharmaśīlasya mama vā madvidhasya vā

evamuktā jaratkārurbhartrā hṛdayakampanam

Far less can remain a man like me, who am religious and those who are like me. Being thus addressed by her husband, the heart of sister of Vāsuki began to tremble in fear.

abravīdbhaginī tatra vāsukeḥ saṁniveśane

nāvamānātkṛtavatī tavāhaṁ viprabodhanam

She spoke to him: O Brāhmaṇa! I have not waken you from any desire of insult.

dharmalopo na te vipra syādityetanmayā kṛtam

uvāca bhāryāmityukto jaratkārurmahātapāḥ

ṛṣiḥ kopasamāviṣṭastyaktukāmo bhujaṅgamām

na me vāganṛtaṁ prāha gamiṣye ̍haṁ bhujaṅgame

I have done it lest your virtue suffer any loss! Thus being addressed by his wife great Ṛṣi Jaratkāru, posessed with anger and desirous of forsaking his wife, said to snake: O lady of Nāga race! I have never spoken a falsehood, therefore I shall go.

samayo hyeṣa me pūrvaṁ tvayā saha mithaḥ kṛtaḥ

sukhamabhyuṣito bhadre brūyāstvaṁ bhrātaraṁ śubhe

This was my agreement made with you and your brother, O amiable lady! I have passed happily with you! O fair lady! Tell your brother,

ito mayi gate bhīru gataḥ sa bhagavāniti

tvaṁ cāpi mayi niṣkrānte na śokaṁ kartumarhasi

When I am gone and on my going away, you should also not grieve for me, that I have left you.

ityuktā sā ̍navadyāṅgī prtyuvāca muniṁ tadā

jaratkāruṁ jaratkāruścintāśokaparāyaṇā

bāṣpagadgadayā vācā mukhena pariśuṣyatā

kṛtāñjalirvarārohā paryaśrunayanā tataḥ

dhairyamālambya vāmorūhṛdayena pravepatā

na māmarhasi dharmajña parityaktumanāgasam

Having been thus addressed, beautiful Jaratkāru, was filled with anxiety and sorrow. Her eyes were full of tears, her face was colourless with fear and her voice choked with sobs. She mustered courage, but her voice was trembling. She joined her hands and thus addressed Ṛṣi Jaratkāru: O virtuous man, it is not proper for you to leave me!

dharme sthitāṁ sthito dharme sadā priyahite ratām

pradāne kāraṇaṁ yacca mama tubhyaṁ dvijottama

You are always in virtue, so, I am always engaged in doing good. O best of Brāhmaṇas, object for which I was bestowed on you.

tadalabdhavatīṁ mandāṁ kiṁ māṁ vakṣyati vāsukiḥ

mātṛśāpābhibhūtānāṁ jñātīnāṁ mama sattama

apatyamīpsitaṁ tvattastacca tāvanna dṛśyate

tvatto hyapatyalābhena jñātīnāṁ me śivaṁ bhavet

Has not been as yet accompanied. Unfortunate am I! What should I tell to Vāsuki? O excellent Ṛṣi! Son, desired by my relatives afflicted by their mother ̍s curse, to be begotten by you on me, is not as yet born. Welfare of my relatives depends on the son begotten by you.

saṁprayogo bhavennāyaṁ mama moghastvayā dvija

jñātīnāṁ hitamicchantī bhagavaṁstvāṁ prasādaye

Moved by desire of doing good to my race, so that my connection with you be fruitful, O Brāhmaṇa, I entreat you not to go away.

imamavyaktarūpaṁ me garbhamādhāya sattama

kathaṁ tyaktvā mahātmā sangantumicchasyanāgasam

O excellent one, high souled as you are, why should you leave me who have committed no fault? My conception is not yet apparent.

evamuktastu sa munirbhāryāṁ vacanamabravīt

yadyuktamanurūpaṁ ca jaratkāruṁ tapodhanaḥ

Thus addressed, great ascetic Ṛṣi spoke to his wife Jaratkāru, these words, proper and suitable to occasion.

astyayaṁ subhage garbhastava vaiśvānaropamaḥ

ṛṣiḥ paramadharmātmā vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ

O fortunate lady! Being that is now in your womb, is like god of fire himself. He is a Ṛṣi, greatly virtuous and a master of Vedas and Vedāṅgas.

evamuktvā sa dharmātmā jaratkārurmahānṛṣiḥ

ugrāya tapase bhūyo jagāma kṛtaniścayaḥ

Having said this, virtuous and great Ṛṣi Jaratkāru went away, his heart firmly fixed on practising severest asceticism again.