Vyāsa, the revered sage, addressed King Janamejaya with warmth and gravity: “O king, listen as I recount to you the ancient, secret, and wondrous Purāṇa known as the Bhāgavata. It is filled with auspicious tales and blessings. I once taught this supreme secret to my son Śuka, and now I shall recite it to you. By hearing it, one attains the fourfold goals of life—dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. It brings happiness and auspiciousness, and its essence is drawn from all the scriptures.” King Janamejaya, eager and curious, asked, “Whose son is Āstīka, and for what purpose did he come to obstruct? What was his intention in protecting the serpents, O lord? Please narrate this story in detail, O blessed one, and recount the entire Purāṇa at length.” Vyāsa began: “The sage Jaratkāru, peaceful and steadfast, lived as a renunciate and did not enter the householder’s life. One day, while wandering in the forest, he saw his ancestors hanging in a pit, suffering. They pleaded with him, ‘O son of Kuru, take a wife for yourself; otherwise, we will not be fully satisfied. If you have a son who follows good conduct, we will be freed from sorrow and ascend to heaven.’ Jaratkāru replied, ‘When I find a wife who is my equal, whom I have sought and who is truly devoted, then I shall begin household life. I speak the truth, O my elders.’ Having spoken thus, the sage departed for the holy places. At that very moment, the serpents were cursed by their mother: ‘Let them fall into the fire!’ Meanwhile, the wives of the sage Kaśyapa, Kadrū and Vinatā, saw the horse on the chariot of the Sun and spoke to each other. Kadrū asked Vinatā, ‘O dear one, what is the color of this horse? Tell me the truth quickly.’ Vinatā replied, ‘This king of horses is white. What do you think, O auspicious one? You also tell me its color, and then let us make a wager.’ Kadrū declared, ‘I think this horse is black in color, O beautiful-smiling one. Come, let us make a divine wager together, and the loser will become the other’s servant.’ Kadrū then commanded all her serpent sons, who were obedient to her, ‘Make the horse appear dark as much as possible on its body.’ Some of the serpents refused, and she cursed them, saying, ‘You will go into the fire at Janamejaya’s sacrifice.’ The other serpents, wishing to please their mother, wrapped themselves around the horse’s tail, making it appear mottled. The two sisters, closely united, went and saw the horse. Seeing the mottled horse, Vinatā was greatly distressed. At that moment, Garuḍa, her mighty son, arrived. Seeing his mother in distress, the devourer of serpents questioned her, ‘Mother, why are you so dejected? You appear to me as if you are weeping, even though your son is alive, as is the charioteer of the Sun. You are sorrowful—what is the use of your life, O beautiful-eyed one? What is the point of having a son if the mother is deeply unhappy? Tell me the reason, Mother; I will act so that your sorrow is gone.’ Vinatā confessed, ‘I must become a servant to my co-wife, my son. What more can I say, wounded as I am? She asks me to carry her today; because of this, I am distressed, my son.’ Garuḍa reassured her, ‘I will carry you wherever she wishes to go. Do not grieve, O blessed one; I will make you free from care.’ Vyāsa continued: Thus comforted, Vinatā went to Kadrū’s side. To remove his mother’s servitude, the mighty Garuḍa carried her and her son to the far shore of the ocean. Garuḍa approached Kadrū and bowed, asking, ‘Mother, how can my mother be freed from servitude without doubt?’ Kadrū replied, ‘Bring the nectar from the realm of the gods by force and give it to my sons; then quickly free your powerless mother.’ Vyāsa explained: Thus addressed, Garuḍa swiftly flew to Indra’s world; after battling, the best of birds seized the pot of nectar. He brought it back and offered it to his mother, thereby freeing Vinatā from servitude. Indra, however, took away the nectar when the serpents had gone to bathe, but Vinatā was freed by the power of her son. At that place, kusa grass was spread out, which the serpents licked. Those with two tongues became so by merely touching the tips of the kusa grass. The serpents, led by Vasuki, cursed by their mother and distressed, went to Brahma for refuge and spoke of their fear. The blessed Brahma said, ‘Give your sister, with a name, to the great sage Jaratkāru as his wife. A son born from her will be the savior of your race; he will be named Āstīka, without doubt.’ Hearing these auspicious words, Vasuki went to the forest and respectfully gave his daughter to the sage. Jaratkāru, knowing her to be named, said, ‘If ever she does anything displeasing to me, then I will abandon her.’ With this agreement, the sage took her as his wife, and Vasuki, having fulfilled his wish, returned to his own abode. Jaratkāru built a pure leaf-hut in the great forest and lived happily there with her. Once, after eating, the best of sages fell asleep, with Vasuki’s beautiful sister present. ‘Beloved, you must not wake me under any circumstance,’ he said, addressing her with gentle words before going to sleep. As the sun reached the western mountain and evening approached, she wondered anxiously, ‘What should I do? I have no peace; if I wake him, he will abandon me again.