Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/185

Rh "And Astika asked, 'For what wert thou, O mother, bestowed on my father by my uncle? Tell me all truly so that hearing I may do what is proper.'

"Then Jaratkaru, the sister of the king of the snakes, herself unmoved by the general distress, and ever desirous ef the welfare of her relatives, said unto him. 'O son, it is said that the mother of all the snakes is Kadru. Know thou for what she cursed in anger her sons! Addressing the snakes she said,—As ye have refused to falsify (the color of) Uchchaisrava, the prince of horses, for bringing about Vinata's bondage according to the wager, therefore, shall he whose charioteer is Vayu burn ye all in Janamejaya's sacrifice. And perishing in that sacrifice, ye shall go to the region of unredeemed spirits.—The Grand-father himself of all the worlds spake unto her while uttering this curse—Be it so, and thus approved her speech. And Vasuki having heard that curse and then the words of the Grand-father, sought the protection of the gods. O child, on the occasion when the amrita was being churned for. And the gods, their object fulfilled, they having obtained the excellent amrita, with Vasuki ahead, approached the Grand-father. And all the gods with king Vasuki, sought to incline him who was born of the lotus into grace so that the curse might be made abortive.

And the gods said,—O Lord, Vasuki, the king of the snakes, is sorry on account of his relatives. How may his mother's curse prove abortive?

And Brahma thereupon replied, saying,—Jaratkaru shall take unto himself a wife of the name of Jaratkaru: the Brahmana born in her shall relieve the snakes.

"And Vasuki, the best of snakes, hearing these words, bestowed me, O thou of god-like looks, on thy high-souled father a little before the commencement of the sacrifice. And from that marriage art thou born of me. That time hath come. It behoveth thee to protect us from this danger. It behoveth thee to protect my brother and myself from the fire, so that the object—our relief—for which I was bestowed on thy wise father may not be unfulfilled. What dost thou think, O son?