Story of Jaratkāru, continued

 sautiruvāca

etasminneva kāle tu jaratkārurmahātapāḥ

cacāra pṛthivīṁ kṛtsnāṁ yatra sāyaṁgṛho muniḥ

Sauti said: About this time, great ascetic Jaratkāru, becoming a Yatra Sāyana Gṛha, roamed over the world.

carandīkṣāṁ mahāteja duścarāmakṛtātmabhiḥ

tīrteṣvāplavanaṁ kṛtvā puṇyeṣu vicacāra ha

Greatly powerful Ṛṣi roamed about, bathing in various sacred waters and practising various vows, difficult to be practised by others.

vāyubhakṣo nirāhāraḥ śuṣyannahararmuniḥ

sa dadarśa pitṝn garte lambamānānadhomukhān

Ṛṣi lived on air and was completely free from all worldly desires, thus becoming daily lean and emaciated. Then he saw his ancestors, hanging in the hole, their heads downwards.

ekatantvavaśiṣṭaṁ vai vīraṇastambamāśritān

taṁ tantuṁ ca śanairākhumādadānaṁ bileśayam

By a cord of Vīraṇa roots, having only one thread entire. Even that one thread was gradually being eaten away by the rat, living in that hole.

nirāhārānkṛśāndīnāngarte svatrāṇamicchataḥ

upasṛtya sa tāndīnāndīnarūpo ̍bhyabhāṣata

They were in the hole without food. They were emaciated, pitiable and eagerly desirous of emancipation. Jaratkāru, in humble guise, came near these pitiable ones and asked them.

ke bhavanto ̍valambante vīraṇastambamāśritāḥ

durbalaṁ khāditairmūlairākhunā bilavāsinā

vīraṇastambake mūlaṁ yadapyekamiha sthitam

tadapyayaṁ śanairākhurādatte daśanaiḥ śitaiḥ

Who are you that are hanging by the cord of Vīraṇā roots, of which single weak root that is still left is gradually being eaten away by rat who lives in this hole.

chetsyate ̍lpāvaśiṣṭatvādetadapyacirādiva

tatastu patitāro ̍tra garte vyaktamadhomukhāḥ

Little that remains of single thread will soon be cut away. It is quite evident that you will then fall into the pit with your heads downwards.

tasya me duḥkhamutpannaṁ dṛṣṭvā yuṣmānadhomukhān

kṛcchramāpadamāpannānpriyaṁ kiṁ karavāṇi vaḥ

I have been moved with pity, seeing that you hang with your faces downwards and that you are overtaken by a great calamity. What good can I do to you?

tapaso ̍sya caturthena tṛtīyenāthavā punaḥ

ardhena vāpi nistartumāpadaṁ brūta mā ciram

Tell me without delay whatewer your this great calamity can be relieved with a fourth, or a third or even a half of my this asceticism.

athavā ̍pi samagreṇa tarantu tapasā mama

bhavantaḥ sarva eveha kāmamevaṁ vidhīyatām

O relieve yourselves even with whole of my asceticism. I consent to it. Do as you please. 

pitara ūcuḥ

vṛddho bhavānbrahmacārī yo na strātumihecchasi

na tu viprārgya tapasā śakyate tadvyapohitum

Ancestors said: O venerable Brahmacārī, you wish to relieve us, but, O best of twice born, you cannot relieve us with your asceticism.

asti nastāta tapasaḥ phalaṁ pravadatāṁ vara

saṁtānaprakṣayādbrahmanpatāma niraye ̍śucau

O child, O best of speakers, we have also fruits of our asceticism, but O Brāhmaṇa, we are falling down into this hell for the want of offspring.

saṁtānaṁ hi paro dharma evamāha pitāmahaḥ

lambatāmiha nastāta na jñānaṁ pratibhāti vai

Grandsire has said: Offspring is great Dharma. O child, hanging as we are in this hole, uor intelect has grown dim.

yaina tvāṁ nābhijānīmo loke vikhyātapauruṣam

vṛddho bhavānmahābhāgo yo naḥ śocyānsuduḥkhitān

Therefore we cannot know you, although you are known for your greatness all over the world. You are venerable, you are of good fortune, you sorrowfully grieve for us.

śocate caiva kāruṇyācchuṇu ye vai dvija 

yāyāvarā nāma vyamṛṣayaḥ saṁśitavratāḥ

Hear, O Brāhmaṇa! Who we are and for whom you are lamenting. We are Ṛṣis of the name of Yāyāvara of rigid vows.

lokātpuṇyādiha bhraṣṭāḥ saṁtānaprakṣayānmune

pranaṣṭaṁ nastapastīvraṁ na hi nastanturasti vai

O Ṛṣi, we have fallen from a holy region for want of offspring. Our great penances have not been destroyed, therefore, we have still one cord left to hang from.

asti tveko ̍dya nastantuḥ so ̍pi nā ̍pi nāsti yathā tathā

mandabhāgyo ̍lpabhāgyānāṁ tapa ekaṁ samāsthitaḥ

jaratkāruriti khyāto vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ

niyatātmā mahātmā ca suvrataḥ sumahātapāḥ

We have only one thread - son, now, but it matters little whether he is or he is not. Unfortunate we are! We have a thread in one, known as Jaratkāru, well read in Vedas and Vedāṅgas, who has adopted asceticism. He is high souled, he has his senses under complete control, he is a man of rigid vows, a gret ascetic.

tena sma tapaso lobhātkṛcchramāpāditā vayam

na tasyabhāryā putro vā bāndhavo vā ̍sti kaścana

But from his temptation for the merits of asceticism, we have been reduced to this state. He has no wife and no son, no friend, no relatives.

tasmāllambāmahe garte naṣṭasaṁjñā hyanāthavat

sa vaktavyastvayā dṛṣṭo hyasmākaṁ nāthavattayā

This is the reason why we hang in this hole, our consciousness gone, like one having no one to look after. If you meet him, tell him out of kindness for us.

pitaraste ̍valambante garte dīnā adhomukhāḥ

sādhu dārānkuruṣveti prajāmutpādayeti ca

Your ancestors are hanging in grief with their faces downwards. O holy man! Take a wife and beget an offspring!

kulatanturhi naḥ śiṣṭastvamevaikastapodhana

yastvaṁ paśyasi no brahmanvīraṇastambamāśritān

O Ṛṣi! O holy man! You are only thread in the line of your ancestors! O Brāhmaṇa! Vīraṇa root that you see and on which we hang,

eṣo ̍smākaṁ kulastamba āste svakulavardhanaḥ

yāni paśyasi vai brahmanmūlānīhāsya vīrudhaḥ

ete nastantavastāta kālena paribhakṣitāḥ

yattvetatpaśyasi brahmanmūlamasyārdhabhakṣitam

Is the cord representing our race. O Brāhmaṇa! These threads of Vīraṇa roots which you see eaten up by the rat, are we ourselves, who have been eaten up by Time. This root, which you see half eaten,

yatra lambāmahe garte so ̍pyekastapa āsthitaḥ

yamākhuṁ paśyasi brahmankāla eṣa mahābalaḥ

And by which we are hanging in this hole is he who has adopted asceticism. Rat, which you see is Time of infinite strenght.

sa taṁ taporataṁ mandaṁ śanaiḥ kṣapayate tudan

jaratkāruṁ tapolabdhaṁ mandātmānamacetasam

Time is slowly killing wretch Jaratkāru, engaged in asceticism, having been tempted by its merits but wanting in prudence and heart.

na hi nastattapastasya tārayiṣyati sattama

chinnamūlānparibhraṣṭānkālopahatacetasaḥ

O excellent one, his asceticism cannot save us. Roots being torn, falling off from heavens, deprived of consciousness by Time.

adhaḥ praviṣṭānpaśyāsmānyathā duṣkṛtinastathā

asmāsu patiteṣvatra saha sarvaiḥ sabāndhavaiḥ

Behold like sinful wretches we are going downwards. On our going with all our relatives down into this hole,

chinnaḥ kālena so ̍pyatra gatvā vai narakaṁ tataḥ

tapo ̍vāpyathavā yajño yaccānyatpāvanaṁ mahat

Eaten up by Time, he too will sink with us into hell. Whether it is asceticism, or sacrifice, or other holy acts, 

tatsarvamaparaṁ tāta na saṁtatyā samaṁ matam

sa tāta dṛṣṭvābrūyāstaṁ jaratkāruṁ tapodhana

O child! They are inferior and cannot be equal to a son. O child! seeing all this, tell everything to Ṛṣi Jaratkāru!

yathā dṛṣṭamidaṁ cātra tvayākhyeyamaśeṣataḥ

yathā dārānprakuryātsa putrānutpādayedyathā

O Brāhmaṇa! Becoming our saviour, you should, out of kindness towards us, tell him in detail all that you have seen, so that it might induce him to take a wife and beget an offspring.

tathā brahmaṁstvayā vācyaḥ so ̍smākaṁ nāthavattayā

bāndhavānāṁ hi tasyeha yathā cātmakulaṁ tathā

kastvaṁ bandhumivāsmākamanuśocasi sattama

śrotumicchāma sarveṣāṁ ko bhavāniha tiṣṭhati

O excellent man, who are you? You may be one of his friends, for you grieve for us like a friend and as one belonging to our race. We wish to hear who you are that stand before us.

sautiruvāca

etacchrutvā jaratkārurbhṛśaṁ śokaparāyaṇaḥ

uvāca tānpitṛnduḥkhādbāṣpasaṁdigdhyā girā

Sauti said: Having heard all this, Jaratkāru became exceedingly sorry. He spoke to Pitṛs in sorrow and his words were choked by tears.

jaratkāruruvāca

mama pūrve bhavanto vai pitaraḥ sapitāmahāḥ

tadbrūta yanmayā kāryaṁ bhavatāṁ priyakāmyayā

You are my fathers and grandfathers who are gone before, tell me, therefore, what I can do for your welfare.

ahameva jaratkāruḥ kilbiṣī bhavatāṁ sutaḥ 

te daṇḍaṁ dhārayata me dṛṣkṛterakṛtātmanaḥ

I am that Jaratkāru, your sinful son. I am worthless man of sinful deeds. Pray, punish me.

pitara ūcuḥ

putra diṣṭyā ̍si saṁprāpta imaṁ deśaṁ yadṛcchayā

kimarthaṁ ca tvayā brahman nakṛto dārasaṁgrahaḥ

O son! You have come by good luck at this spot in your travel. O Brāhmaṇa! Why have you not taken wife?

jaratkāruruvāca

mamāyaṁ pitaro nityaṁ yadyarthaḥ parivartate

ūrdhvaretāḥ śarīraṁ vai prāpayeyamamutra vai

Jaratkāru said: O Pitṛs! I have this desire always in my heart, that having kept my sexual passion under complete control, I shall take this body to the other world.

na dārānvai kariṣyehamiti me bhāvitaṁ manaḥ

evaṁ dṛṣṭvā tu bhavataḥ śakuntāniva lambataḥ 

My mind is posessed with idea that I must not take a wife, but having seen you, my sires, hanging like birds.

mayā nivartitā buddhirbrahmacaryātpitāmahāḥ

kariṣye vaḥ priyaṁ kāmaṁ nivekṣye ̍hamasaṁśayam

O grandfathers! My mind has been diverted from Brahmacarya, I shall certainly do your favourite work.

sanāmnīṁ yadyahaṁ kanyāmupalapsye kadācana

bhaviṣyati ca yā kācidbhaikṣyavatsvayamudyatā

pratigrahītā tāmasmi na bhareyaṁ ca yāmaham

evaṁ vidhamahaṁ kuryāṁ niveśaṁ prāpnuyāṁ yadi

I shall certainly marry, if I get a bride of my own name, who will bestow herself on me on her own accord, who will come to me as a gift and whom I shall not have to maintain.

anyathā na kariṣye ;haṁ satyametatpitāmahāḥ

tatra cotpatsyate janturbhavatāṁ tāraṇāya vai

śāśvatāścāvyayāścaiva tiṣṭhantu pitaro mama

Otherwise I shall not marry, O grandsires, I speak truth to you! Offspring that will be begotten on her shall be the means of your salvation and O my fathers, You will then live forever in blessed happines and without apprehension of a fall.

sautiruvāca

evamuktvā tu sa pitṝṁścacāra pṛthivīṁ muniḥ

na ca sma labhate vṛddho ̍yamiti śaunaka

Sauti said: Ṛṣi Jaratkāru, having said all this to ancestors, left the place and roamed over the world again. O Śaunaka! Although he grew old, he did not get a wife.

yadā nirvedamāpannaḥ pitṛbhiścoditastathā

tadā ̍raṇyaṁ sa gatvoccaiścukrośa bhṛśaduḥkhitaḥ

He was very sorry that he was not successful, but directed by his ancestors he continued the search. He went into the forest and shouted aloud in grief.

sa tvaraṇyagataḥ prājñaḥ pitṝṇāṁ hitakāmyayā

uvāca kanyāṁ yācāmi tisro vācaḥ śanairimāḥ

Having gone into the forest, wise Ṛṣi, moved by desire of doing good to his ancestors, said: I shall ask for a bride, distinctly uttering the words thrice.

yāni bhūtāni santīha sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca

antarhitāni vā yāni tāni śṛṇvantu me vacaḥ

Whatever creatures are, mobile or immobile, visible of invisible, O you all, hear my words.

ugre tapasi vartante pitaraścodayanti mām

niviśasveti duḥkhārtāḥ saṁtānasya cikīrṣayā

I am a man, engaged in severe penances, but my ancestors, afflicted with grief, have told me: Get yourself married to beget a son!

niveśāyākhilāṁ bhūmiṁ kanyābhhaikṣyaṁ carāmi bhoḥ

daridro duḥkhaśīlaśca pitṛbhiḥ saṁniyojitaḥ

Directed by my ancestors, I am roaming in powerty and sorrow all over the world for wedding a maiden whom I shall get as a gift.

yasya kanyāsti bhūtasya ye mayeha prakīrtitāḥ

te me kanyāṁ prayacchantu carataḥ sarvato diśam

Let any of those creatures, whom I now address. If he has a daughter, bestow her on me who am roving all over world for a bride. 

mama kanyā sanāmnī yā bhaikṣyavaccoditā bhavet

bhareyaṁ caiva yāṁ nāhaṁ tāṁ me kanyāṁ prayacchata

A bride, who bears the same name with me, who will be given to me as a gift and whom I shall not have to maintain, if there is a bride, bestow her on me.