Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/125

Rh he was sleeping, the sun entered his chambers in the Western mountain was about to set. And, O Brahmana, as the day was fading, she, the excellent sister of Vasuki, became thoughtful, fearing the loss of her husband's virtue. And she thought,-'What should I now do? Shall I wake my husband or not? He is exacting and punctilious in his religious duties. How can I act as not to offend him? The alternatives are his anger and the loss of virtue of a virtuous man. The loss of virtue, I ween, is the greater of the two evils. Again, if I wake him, he will be angry. But if twilight passeth away without his prayers being said, be shall certainly sustain loss of virtue.”

"And having resolved at last, the sweet-speeched Jaratkaru, the sister of Vasuki, spake softly unto that Rishi resplendent with ascetic penances, and lying prostrate like a flame of fire,-'O thou of great good fortune, awake, the sun is setting ! O thou of rigid vows, O illustrious one, do your evening prayer after purifying yourself with water and name of Vishnu. The time for the evening sacrifice hath come! Twilight, O lord, is even now gently covering the western side.'"

"The illustrious Jartkaru of great ascetic merit, thus addressed, spake unto his wife these words, his upper lip quivering in anger, O amiable one of the Naga race, thou hast insulted me! I shall no longer abide with thee, but shall go whithersoever I came from. Othou of beautiful thighs, I belive in my heart that the sun hath no power to set in the usual time, if I am asleep. An insulted person should never live where he hath met with the insult, far less should I, a virtuous person, or those that are like me i Jaratkaru, the sister of Vasuki, thus addressed by her lord, began to quake with terror, and she spake unto him, saying, 'O Brahmana, I have not waked thee from desire of insult; but I have done it that thy virtue may not sustain any loss !'"

"The Rishi Jatatkaru, great in ascetic merit, possessed with anger and desirous of forsaking his spouse, thus addressed, spake unto his wife, saging, 0 thou fair one, never have I spoken a falsehood! Therefore, go I shall. This was also settled between ourselves! O amiable one, I have passed the time happily with thee. And, O fair one, tell tby brother, when I am gone, that I have left thee! And upon my going away, it behoveth thee not to grieve for me!'"

"Thus addressed Jaratkaru, the fair sister of Vasuki, of faultless features, filled with anxiety and sorrow, having mustered sufficient courage and patience, though her heart was still quaking, then spake unto Rishi Jaratkaru. Her words were obstructed with tears and her face was pale with fear. And the palms of her hands were joined together, and her eyes were bathed in tears. And she said, 'It behoveth thee not to leave me without fault. Thou treadest over the path of virtue! I too