उत्पन्नः स जरत्कारुस्तपस्युग्रे रतो द्विजः। तस्यैष भगिनीं काले जरत्कारुं प्रयच्छतु
Jaratkāru, that twice-born sage, was born and devoted himself to severe austerities; at the proper time, let him be given Jaratkāru, the sister, as wife.
एलापत्रेण यत्प्रोक्तं वचनं भुजगेन ह। पन्नगानां हितं देवास्तत्तथा न तदन्यथा
'What was spoken by the serpent Elāpatra is for the welfare of the serpents, O gods; let it be so, and not otherwise.'
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु नागेन्द्रः पितामहवचस्तदा। संदिश्य पन्नगान्सर्वान्वासुकिः शापमोहितः
Hearing this command of the Grandsire, the lord of serpents Vāsuki, bewildered by the curse, then instructed all the serpents.
स्वसारमुद्यम्य तदा जरत्कारुमृषिं प्रति। सर्पान्बहूञ्जरत्कारौ नित्ययुक्तान्समादधत्
Then, raising his sister for the sage Jaratkāru, Vāsuki assigned many serpents to always attend upon Jaratkāru.
जरत्कारुर्यदा भार्यामिच्छेद्वरयितुं प्रभुः। शीघ्रमेत्य तदाऽऽख्येयं तन्नः श्रेयो भविष्यति
'When Jaratkāru, the sage, wishes to choose a wife, let us quickly inform him; that will be for our welfare.'
जरत्कारुरिति ख्यातो यस्त्वया सूतनन्दन। इच्छामि तदहं श्रोतुं ऋषेस्तस्य महात्मनः
'O Sūtanandana, he who is known as Jaratkāru— I wish to hear about that great sage.'
किं कारणं जरत्कारोर्नामैतत्प्रथितं भुवि। जरत्कारुनिरुक्तिं त्वं यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि
'What is the reason that the name Jaratkāru became renowned on earth? You ought to explain the derivation of Jaratkāru as it truly is.'
जरेति क्षयमाहुर्वै दारुणं कारुसंज्ञितम्। शरीरं कारु तस्यासीत्तत्स धीमाञ्शनैःशनैः
'Decay (jara) is said to be destruction, and kāru means body; his body was kāru, and that wise one gradually diminished it.'
क्षपयामास तीव्रेण तपसेत्यत उच्यते। जरत्कारुरिति ब्रह्मन्वासुकेर्भगिनी तथा
'He reduced it through intense austerity; therefore he is called Jaratkāru, O brāhmaṇa, and so also is Vāsuki’s sister.'
एवमुक्तस्तु धर्मात्मा शौनकः प्राहसत्तदा। उग्रश्रवसमामन्त्र्य उपपन्नमिति ब्रुवन्
Thus addressed, the righteous Śaunaka then smiled and, addressing Ugraśravas, said, 'It is fitting.'
उक्तं नाम यथा पूर्वं सर्वं तच्छ्रुतवानहम्। यथा तु जातो ह्यास्तीक एतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्। तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य सौतिः प्रोवाच शास्त्रतः
I have heard all that was previously spoken; but I wish to know how Āstīka was born. Hearing this request, Sauti replied according to the tradition.
संदिश्य पन्नगान्सर्वान्वासुकिः सुसमाहितः। स्वसारमुद्यम्य तदा जरत्कारुमृषिं प्रति
Vāsuki, having summoned all the serpents, earnestly raised his sister and presented her to the sage Jaratkāru.
अथ कालस्य महतः स मुनिः संशितव्रतः। तपस्यभिरतो धीमान्स दारान्नाभ्यकाङ्क्षत
Then, after a long time, that sage, steadfast in his vows and devoted to austerities, did not desire a wife.
स तूर्ध्वरेतास्तपसि प्रसक्तः स्वाध्यायवान्वीतभयः कृतात्मा। चचार सर्वां पृथिवीं महात्मा न चापि दारान्मनसाध्यकाङ्क्षत्
He, whose seed was held upward, absorbed in ascetic practice, learned in the scriptures, fearless, and self-controlled, wandered across the whole earth, and did not even mentally desire a wife.
ततोऽपरस्मिन्संप्राप्ते काले कस्मिंश्चिदेव तु। परिक्षिन्नाम राजासीद्ब्रह्मन्कौरववंशजः
Then, at another time, a king named Parikṣit, descendant of the Kauravas, became exhausted, O Brāhmaṇa.
यथा पाण्डुर्महाबाहुर्धनुर्धरवरो युधि। बभूव मृगयाशीलः पुरास्य प्रपितामहः
Just as mighty-armed Pāṇḍu, the foremost archer in battle, was fond of hunting, so was his ancestor in former times.
तथा विख्यातवाँल्लोके परीक्षिदभिमन्युजः।' मृगान्विध्यन्वराहांश्च तरक्षून्महिषांस्तथा। अन्यांश्च विविधान्वन्यांश्चचार पृथिवीपतिः
Similarly, Parikṣit, son of Abhimanyu, became renowned in the world; striking deer, boars, tigers, buffaloes, and various other wild animals, the king roamed the earth.
स कदाचिन्मृगं विद्ध्वा बाणेनानतपर्वणा। पृष्ठतो धनुरादाय ससार गहने वने
Once, after striking a deer with a barbless arrow, he took up his bow and pursued it into the dense forest.
यथैव भगवान्रुद्रो विद्ध्वा यज्ञमृगं दिवि। अन्वगच्छद्धनुष्पाणिः पर्यन्वेष्टुमितस्ततः
Just as the revered Rudra, after striking the sacrificial beast in heaven, pursued it with bow in hand, searching all around, so did he.
न हि तेन मृगो विद्धो जीवन्गच्छति वै वने। पूर्वरूपं तु तत्तूर्णं तस्यासीत्स्वर्गतिं प्रति
But the deer, though struck, did not die in the forest; its previous form quickly moved toward heaven.
परिक्षितो नरेन्द्रस्य विद्धो यन्नष्टवान्मृगः। दूरं चापहृतस्तेन मृगेण स महीपतिः
The deer struck by King Parikṣit escaped and carried his bow far away; thus the king was led off by the animal.
परिश्रान्तः पिपासार्त आससाद मुनिं वने। गवां प्रचारेष्वासीनं वत्सानां मुखनिःसृतम्
Weary and tormented by thirst, he came upon a sage in the forest, who was seated among grazing cows, with calves sucking at their mothers.
भूयिष्ठमुपयुञ्जानं फेनमापिबतां पयः। तमभिद्रुत्य वेगेन स राजा संशितव्रतम्
The sage was mostly drinking the froth from the milk, and as the king, steadfast in his vows, rushed toward him with speed—
अपृच्छद्धनुरुद्यम्य तं मुनिं क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः। भोभो ब्रह्मन्नहं राजा परीक्षिदभिमन्युजः
He, raising his bow, questioned the sage, afflicted by hunger and fatigue: 'O Brāhmaṇa, I am King Parikṣit, son of Abhimanyu.'
मया विद्धो मृगो नष्टः कच्चित्तं दृष्टवानसि। स मुनिस्तं तु नोवाच किंचिन्मौनव्रते स्थितः
'A deer struck by me has escaped; perhaps you have seen it?' But the sage, observing a vow of silence, did not reply.
तस्य स्कन्धे मृतं सर्पं क्रुद्धो राजा समासजत्। समुत्क्षिप्य धनुष्कोट्या स चैनं समुपैक्षत
Angry, the king placed a dead snake upon the sage's shoulder, lifting it with the tip of his bow, and watched him.
न स किंचिदुवाचैनं शुभं वा यदि वाऽशुभम्। स राजा क्रोधमुत्सृज्य व्यथितस्तं तथागतम्। दृष्ट्वा जगाम नगरमृषिस्त्वासीत्तथैव सः
The sage spoke nothing to him, neither auspicious nor inauspicious; the king, releasing his anger and disturbed by what had happened, departed for the city, while the sage remained as before.
न हि तं राजशार्दूलं क्षमाशीलो महामुनिः। स्वधर्मनिरतं भूपं समाक्षिप्तोऽप्यधर्षयत्
For the great sage, patient by nature, did not retaliate against the tiger among kings, devoted to his own duty, even though insulted.
न हि तं राजशार्दूलस्तथा धर्मपरायणम्। जानाति भरतश्रेष्ठस्तत एनमधर्षयत्
Indeed, the tiger among kings did not recognize him as so devoted to righteousness, O best of the Bharatas; thus he insulted him.
तरुणस्तस्य पुत्रोऽभूत्तिग्मतेजा महातपाः। शृङ्गी नाम महाक्रोधो दुष्पसादोमहाव्रतः
His son was young, fierce in energy, great in austerity; named Śṛṅgī, possessed of immense wrath, difficult to approach, and steadfast in great vows.