Critical Edition
सूत उवाच वासुकिस्त्वब्रवीद्वाक्यं जरत्कारुमृषिं तदा सनामा तव कन्येयं स्वसा मे तपसान्विता
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said : Thereupon Vasuki said to the Rishi Jaratkaru, “This maiden has the same name as yours. She is my sister and is an ascetic.
भरिष्यामि च ते भार्यां प्रतीच्छेमां द्विजोत्तम रक्षणं च करिष्येऽस्याः सर्वशक्त्या तपोधन
M. N. Dutt: I shall support her, O best of Brahmanas and therefore accept her. O Rishi, I shall protect her with all my abilities. O best of Rishis, she has been brought up by me for you.”
Supplementary Passages:
1.43.2 After 2, K3.4 Ñ V1 B D T2 G (except G3) ins.: *419 त्वदर्थं रक्ष्यते चैषा मया मुनिवरोत्तम ऋषिरुवाच न भरिष्येऽहमेतां वै एष मे समयः कृतः अप्रियं च न कर्तव्यं कृते चैनां त्यजाम्यहम्
प्रतिश्रुते तु नागेन भरिष्ये भगिनीमिति जरत्कारुस्तदा वेश्म भुजगस्य जगाम ह
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said: When a promise was given by the snake that he would maintain his sister, Jaratkaru went to the house of the snake.
तत्र मन्त्रविदां श्रेष्ठस्तपोवृद्धो महाव्रतः जग्राह पाणिं धर्मात्मा विधिमन्त्रपुरस्कृतम्
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon the virtuous and veteran Rishi, learned in Mantras and observant of rigid vows, accepted her hands, given to him in due rites.
ततो वासगृहं शुभ्रं पन्नगेन्द्रस्य संमतम् जगाम भार्यामादाय स्तूयमानो महर्षिभिः
M. N. Dutt: He then being much adored by the Rishis lived with his wife in the beautiful house set apart for him by the king of the snakes.
शयनं तत्र वै कॢप्तं स्पर्ध्यास्तरणसंवृतम् तत्र भार्यासहायः स जरत्कारुरुवास ह
M. N. Dutt: In that house was a bedstead covered with valuable coverlets. Jaratkaru slept (in that bedstead) with his wife.
स तत्र समयं चक्रे भार्यया सह सत्तमः विप्रियं मे न कर्तव्यं न च वाच्यं कदाचन
M. N. Dutt: The excellent man (Jaratkaru) made an agreement with his wife, saying "You should not do any thing or say any thing that will be displeasing to me."
त्यजेयमप्रिये हि त्वां कृते वासं च ते गृहे एतद्गृहाण वचनं मया यत्समुदीरितम्
M. N. Dutt: I shall then leave you and no longer live in the house, if you do any such thing. Bear in mind these words that I have spoken.
ततः परमसंविग्ना स्वसा नागपतेस्तु सा अतिदुःखान्विता वाचं तमुवाचैवमस्त्विति
M. N. Dutt: The sister of the snake, in great anxiety and sorrow said, 'Be it so.'
तथैव सा च भर्तारं दुःखशीलमुपाचरत् उपायैः श्वेतकाकीयैः प्रियकामा यशस्विनी
M. N. Dutt: The illustrious girl, moved by the desire of doing good to her relatives, served her husband of hard life with the means of Shveta Kakiya, (i.e. with the wakefulness of the dog, the timidity of the dear and the sharp instinct of crows to understand signs.)
ऋतुकाले ततः स्नाता कदाचिद्वासुकेः स्वसा भर्तारं तं यथान्यायमुपतस्थे महामुनिम्
M. N. Dutt: One day the sister of Vasuki, when her season of impurity came, bathed according to custom and went to the great Rishi, her husband.
तत्र तस्याः समभवद्गर्भो ज्वलनसंनिभः अतीव तपसा युक्तो वैश्वानरसमद्युतिः शुक्लपक्षे यथा सोमो व्यवर्धत तथैव सः
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon she became quick with child and the embryo was like fire. It was greatly effulgent and was as resplendent as the god of fire himself.
ततः कतिपयाहस्य जरत्कारुर्महातपाः उत्सङ्गेऽस्याः शिरः कृत्वा सुष्वाप परिखिन्नवत्
AI Translation: Then, after a few days, the great ascetic Jaratkaru, placing his head on her lap, slept as if exhausted.
तस्मिंश्च सुप्ते विप्रेन्द्रे सवितास्तमियाद्गिरिम् अह्नः परिक्षये ब्रह्मंस्ततः साचिन्तयत्तदा वासुकेर्भगिनी भीता धर्मलोपान्मनस्विनी
M. N. Dutt: O Brahmana, as the day was fading away, fearing the loss of (Jaratkaru's virtue, the excellent sister of Vasuki grew very anxious.
किं नु मे सुकृतं भूयाद्भर्तुरुत्थापनं न वा दुःखशीलो हि धर्मात्मा कथं नास्यापराध्नुयाम्
M. N. Dutt: (She thought) “What shall I do now? Shall I wake my husband or shall I not? He leads a hard life and he is virtuous. How can I act so that I may not offend him.
कोपो वा धर्मशीलस्य धर्मलोपोऽथ वा पुनः धर्मलोपो गरीयान्वै स्यादत्रेत्यकरोन्मनः
M. N. Dutt: On the one hand is his anger and on the other is his loss of virtue. The loss of virtue is the greater evil of the two, this is my belief.
उत्थापयिष्ये यद्येनं ध्रुवं कोपं करिष्यति धर्मलोपो भवेदस्य संध्यातिक्रमणे ध्रुवम्
M. N. Dutt: But if I wake him, he will surely be angry. If the time for prayer passes away (without his doing it,) he will certainly sustain the loss of virtue.
इति निश्चित्य मनसा जरत्कारुर्भुजंगमा तमृषिं दीप्ततपसं शयानमनलोपमम् उवाचेदं वचः श्लक्ष्णं ततो मधुरभाषिणी
M. N. Dutt: Having thus thought over the matter, the sweet-voiced snake Jaraikaru, thus spoke to the Rishi, resplendent with asceticism and lying like a mass of flame, "O great Lord, arise, the sun is setting."
उत्तिष्ठ त्वं महाभाग सूर्योऽस्तमुपगच्छति संध्यामुपास्स्व भगवन्नपः स्पृष्ट्वा यतव्रतः
AI Translation: Arise, O noble one, the sun is setting. Worship the evening, O Lord, having touched water, with controlled vows.
प्रादुष्कृताग्निहोत्रोऽयं मुहूर्तो रम्यदारुणः संध्या प्रवर्तते चेयं पश्चिमायां दिशि प्रभो
AI Translation: This is the time for the Agnihotra sacrifice, O Lord, a moment both delightful and terrible. This evening is dawning in the western direction.
एवमुक्तः स भगवाञ्जरत्कारुर्महातपाः भार्यां प्रस्फुरमाणोष्ठ इदं वचनमब्रवीत्
AI Translation: Thus addressed, the Blessed One Jaratkaru, the great ascetic, with quivering lips, spoke these words to his wife:
अवमानः प्रयुक्तोऽयं त्वया मम भुजंगमे समीपे ते न वत्स्यामि गमिष्यामि यथागतम्
AI Translation: You have insulted me, O serpent, I will not stay near you, I will go as I came.
न हि तेजोऽस्ति वामोरु मयि सुप्ते विभावसोः अस्तं गन्तुं यथाकालमिति मे हृदि वर्तते
AI Translation: O you with thighs like the plantain tree, there is no fire in me when the sun has set, as it is time for it to set, this is what is in my mind.
न चाप्यवमतस्येह वस्तुं रोचेत कस्यचित् किं पुनर्धर्मशीलस्य मम वा मद्विधस्य वा
AI Translation: And it would not be desirable for anyone to live here in contempt. And what to say of one like me, who is devoted to the Dharma,
Supplementary Passages:
1.43.24 After 24, K0 ins.: *420 नावमानात्कृतवती दिवसोऽस्तमुपेयिवान्
एवमुक्ता जरत्कारुर्भर्त्रा हृदयकम्पनम् अब्रवीद्भगिनी तत्र वासुकेः संनिवेशने
AI Translation: Thus addressed by her husband, Jaratkaru, her heart trembling, spoke to her sister in the abode of Vasuki.
नावमानात्कृतवती तवाहं प्रतिबोधनम् धर्मलोपो न ते विप्र स्यादित्येतत्कृतं मया
AI Translation: I have done this to awaken you, not out of disrespect. I have done this so that you, O Brahmin, will not lose your Dharma.
उवाच भार्यामित्युक्तो जरत्कारुर्महातपाः ऋषिः कोपसमाविष्टस्त्यक्तुकामो भुजंगमाम्
AI Translation: The great ascetic Jaratkaru, when addressed by his wife, said: The sage, filled with anger, was about to abandon the serpent.
न मे वागनृतं प्राह गमिष्येऽहं भुजंगमे समयो ह्येष मे पूर्वं त्वया सह मिथः कृतः
AI Translation: I am not speaking falsely, O serpent. I shall go. This was the agreement made by you and me.
सुखमस्म्युषितो भद्रे ब्रूयास्त्वं भ्रातरं शुभे इतो मयि गते भीरु गतः स भगवानिति त्वं चापि मयि निष्क्रान्ते न शोकं कर्तुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: When I am gone, and on my going away, you should also not grieve for me, that I have left you
इत्युक्ता सानवद्याङ्गी प्रत्युवाच पतिं तदा जरत्कारुं जरत्कारुश्चिन्ताशोकपरायणा
AI Translation: Thus addressed, the one with the flawless limbs replied to her husband then. Jaratkaru, overwhelmed with anxiety and sorrow, said to Jaratkaru:
बाष्पगद्गदया वाचा मुखेन परिशुष्यता कृताञ्जलिर्वरारोहा पर्यश्रुनयना ततः धैर्यमालम्ब्य वामोरूर्हृदयेन प्रवेपता
AI Translation: With a voice choked with tears, with a parched face, The beautiful one, with folded hands, with eyes full of tears, Then, with trembling heart, with trembling thighs,
न मामर्हसि धर्मज्ञ परित्यक्तुमनागसम् धर्मे स्थितां स्थितो धर्मे सदा प्रियहिते रताम्
AI Translation: O you who know Dharma, you should not abandon me, who am innocent. I, who am established in Dharma, am always devoted to what is dear and beneficial.
प्रदाने कारणं यच्च मम तुभ्यं द्विजोत्तम तदलब्धवतीं मन्दां किं मां वक्ष्यति वासुकिः
AI Translation: O best of Brahmanas, what is the reason for my giving to you? What will Vasuki say to me, who is slow and has not received it?
Supplementary Passages:
1.43.33 After 33ab, T2 G (except G3) ins.: *421 अपत्यार्थं तु मे भ्राता ज्ञातीनां हितकाम्यया
मातृशापाभिभूतानां ज्ञातीनां मम सत्तम अपत्यमीप्षितं त्वत्तस्तच्च तावन्न दृश्यते
AI Translation: O best of men, my relatives are overcome by the curse of my mother. The desired offspring from you is not seen.
त्वत्तो ह्यपत्यलाभेन ज्ञातीनां मे शिवं भवेत् संप्रयोगो भवेन्नायं मम मोघस्त्वया द्विज
AI Translation: By obtaining offspring from you, may there be welfare for my kinsmen. May there be no fruitless union with you, O Brāhmaṇa.
ज्ञातीनां हितमिच्छन्ती भगवंस्त्वां प्रसादये इममव्यक्तरूपं मे गर्भमाधाय सत्तम कथं त्यक्त्वा महात्मा सन्गन्तुमिच्छस्यनागसम्
M. N. Dutt: O excellent one, high-souled as you are, why should you leave me who have committed no fault? My conception is not yet apparent."
एवमुक्तस्तु स मुनिर्भार्यां वचनमब्रवीत् यद्युक्तमनुरूपं च जरत्कारुस्तपोधनः
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed, the great ascetic Rishi spoke to his wife Jaratkaru, these words, proper and suitable to the occasion.
अस्त्येष गर्भः सुभगे तव वैश्वानरोपमः ऋषिः परमधर्मात्मा वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः
M. N. Dutt: O fortunate lady, the being that is now in your womb, is like the god of fire himself. He is a Rishi, greatly virtuous and a master of the Veda and the Vedangas.
एवमुक्त्वा स धर्मात्मा जरत्कारुर्महानृषिः उग्राय तपसे भूयो जगाम कृतनिश्चयः
M. N. Dutt: Having said this, the virtuous and great Rishi Jaratkaru went away, his heart firmly fixed on practising severest asceticism again.