Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/154

 ( Astika Parva continued. )

Sauti said, "O best of dwijas, on 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, his sister, Jaratkaru. And he took great delight in rearing her.

"And a long time did not elapse from this, when the deities and the Asuras, assembling all 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 Grand-father. And the gods, accompanied by Vasuki, addressed the Grand-father, saying, 'O lord, Vasuki is suffering great affliction from fear of (his mother's) curse. It behoveth thee to draw out the dart, 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 thou lord of the gods, be gracious to him and allay his mind's fever.'

"And Brahma replied, 'O ye immortals, I have thought in my mind what ye have said. Let the king of the snakes himself do that which hath been communicated to him before by Elapatra. The time also 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, "And the king of the snakes, Vasuki, afflicted with the curse of his mother, on hearing these words of the Grand-father, and intending his sister for bestowal on the Rishi Jaratkaru, commanding all the serpents, even large numbers of them that were ever attentive to their duties, set them to watch the Rishi Jaratkaru, saying, 'when the lord