Once, Kadrū, seeing a magnificent horse, turned to her co-wife Vinatā and asked, “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, smiling beautifully, said, “I think this horse is black in color. Come, let us make a divine wager together—the loser will become the other's servant.” Intent on winning, Kadrū commanded her obedient serpent sons, “Make the horse appear dark as much as possible on its body.” Some of the serpents refused, so Kadrū cursed them: “You will go into the fire at Janamejaya’s sacrifice.” But others, wishing to please their mother, wrapped themselves around the horse’s tail, making its appearance mottled. The two sisters, closely united, went to see the horse. When Vinatā saw the mottled horse, she was greatly distressed, realizing she had lost the wager and must become Kadrū’s servant. At that moment, Garuḍa, Vinatā’s mighty son and devourer of serpents, arrived. Seeing his mother in distress, he questioned her, “Mother, why are you so dejected? You appear to be weeping, even though your son is alive, as is the charioteer of the Sun. What is the use of your life if you are sorrowful? 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 replied, “I must become a servant to my co-wife, my son. What more can I say, wounded as I am? Today, she says, ‘Carry me.’ 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.” Thus comforted, Vinatā went to Kadrū’s side. To remove his mother’s servitude, Garuḍa carried Vinatā and her son to the far shore of the ocean. Then Garuḍa addressed Kadrū, “Mother, I bow to you. 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.” Hearing this, Garuḍa, mighty and swift, flew to Indra’s world. After a fierce battle, the best of birds seized the pot of nectar. He brought the nectar and offered it to his mother; thus Vinatā was freed from servitude. However, Indra took away the nectar when the serpents had gone to bathe, but Vinatā was already freed by the power of her son. There, kusa grass was spread out, which the serpents licked. By touching the tips of the kusa grass, those serpents became two-tongued. Distressed by their mother’s curse, the serpents, led by Vasuki, went to Brahma for refuge and spoke of their fear. The blessed Brahma told them, “Give your sister, with a name, to the great sage Jaratkaru as his wife. A son born from her will be the savior of your race; he will be named Astika, without doubt.” Hearing these auspicious words, Vasuki went to the forest and respectfully gave his daughter to Jaratkaru. The sage, knowing her to be named, said, “If ever she does anything displeasing to me, then I will abandon her.” With this agreement, Jaratkaru took her, and Vasuki, having fulfilled his wish, returned to his abode. In the great forest, Jaratkaru built a pure leaf-hut and lived happily with Vasuki’s sister. Once, after eating, the sage fell asleep, and Vasuki’s beautiful sister was present. The sage instructed her, “Beloved, you must not wake me under any circumstance,” and then went to sleep. As the sun reached the western mountain and evening approached, she was troubled: “What should I do? I have no peace; if I wake him, he will abandon me again.” She feared the loss of righteousness, thinking, “If I do not wake him, the time for evening rites will pass in vain. It is better to be abandoned than to destroy righteousness; even so, death is certain, for the destruction of righteousness leads men to hell again.” Thinking thus, she awakened the sage, saying, “The time of twilight has come, rise, rise, O virtuous one!” Rising, the sage, angered, said, “I am leaving; you, who have disturbed my sleep, go to your brother’s house.” Trembling, she spoke, “O one of immeasurable radiance, how can the purpose for which my brother gave me be fulfilled?” The sage calmly replied, “So be it.” Then, abandoned by the sage, she returned to Vasuki’s abode. Questioned by her brother, she related the words spoken by her husband: “He said, ‘So be it,’ and then, leaving me, that best of sages departed.” Hearing this, Vasuki trusted her, thinking, “The sage is indeed truthful,” and sheltered his sister. After some time, a son was born to the sage and Vasuki’s sister, and he became renowned as Āstīka. By him, O best of kings, your sacrifice was protected, for the sake of safeguarding his mother’s lineage, by the sage of purified soul.