Jaratkaru's Vow and Vasuki's Sister

Verse 1 (1.46.1)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा जरत्कारुर्भृशं शोकपरायणः । उवाच तान्पितॄन्दुःखाद्बाष्पसंदिग्धया गिरा ॥

etacchrutvā jaratkārurbhṛśaṃ śokaparāyaṇaḥ | uvāca tānpitṝnduḥkhādbāṣpasaṃdigdhayā girā

Hearing this, Jaratkaru was overwhelmed with grief, and in his sorrow he spoke to those ancestors in a voice choked with tears:

Verse 2 (1.46.2)

मम पूर्वे भवन्तो वै पितरः सपितामहाः । तद्ब्रूत यन्मया कार्यं भवतां प्रियकाम्यया ॥

mama pūrve bhavanto vai pitaraḥ sapitāmahāḥ | tadbrūta yanmayā kāryaṃ bhavatāṃ priyakāmyayā

"You are my forebears, my fathers together with my grandfathers. Tell me, then, what I must do to please you.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 3 (1.46.3)

अहमेव जरत्कारुः किल्बिषी भवतां सुतः । ते दण्डं धारयत मे दुष्कृतेरकृतात्मनः ॥

ahameva jaratkāruḥ kilbiṣī bhavatāṃ sutaḥ | te daṇḍaṃ dhārayata me duṣkṛterakṛtātmanaḥ

I myself am Jaratkaru, your sinful son. Lay your punishment on me, a wrongdoer whose soul is undisciplined."

Verse 4 (1.46.4)

पुत्र दिष्ट्याऽसि संप्राप्त इमं देशं यदृच्छया । किमर्थं च त्वया ब्रह्मन्न कृतो दारसङ्ग्रहः ॥

putra diṣṭyā'si saṃprāpta imaṃ deśaṃ yadṛcchayā | kimarthaṃ ca tvayā brahmanna kṛto dārasaṅgrahaḥ

"Son, by good fortune you have chanced upon this place. Why, brahmin, have you not taken a wife?"

Verse 5 (1.46.5)

ममायं पितरो नित्यं हृद्यर्थः परिवर्तते । ऊर्ध्वरेताः शरीरं वै प्रापयेयममुत्र वै ॥

mamāyaṃ pitaro nityaṃ hṛdyarthaḥ parivartate | ūrdhvaretāḥ śarīraṃ vai prāpayeyamamutra vai

"Fathers, this purpose has always turned in my heart: that I should carry this body to the other world with my seed held in, a lifelong celibate.

Verse 6 (1.46.6)

न दारान्वै करिष्येऽहमिति मे भावितं मनः । एवं दृष्ट्वा तु भवतः शकुन्तानिव लम्बतः ॥

na dārānvai kariṣye'hamiti me bhāvitaṃ manaḥ | evaṃ dṛṣṭvā tu bhavataḥ śakuntāniva lambataḥ

My mind was set on this: ‘I will not take a wife.’ But now that I see you hanging like birds,

Note on the text: First line not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second line is CE 1.42.5ab. From here to verse 9 Wikisource divides the lines half a verse off from the critical edition.

Verse 7 (1.46.7)

मया निवर्तिता बुद्धिर्ब्रह्मचर्यात्पितामहाः । करिष्ये वः प्रियं कामं निवेक्ष्येऽहमसंशयम् ॥

mayā nivartitā buddhirbrahmacaryātpitāmahāḥ | kariṣye vaḥ priyaṃ kāmaṃ nivekṣye'hamasaṃśayam

I have turned my mind away from celibacy, grandfathers. I will do what you desire and hold dear; I will marry, without a doubt,

Note on the text: Wikisource divides these lines half a verse off from the critical edition: this verse corresponds to CE 1.42.5cd–6ab.

Verse 8 (1.46.8)

सनाम्नीं यद्यहं कन्यामुपलप्स्ये कदाचन । भविष्यति च या काचिद्भैक्ष्यवत्स्वयमुद्यता ॥

sanāmnīṃ yadyahaṃ kanyāmupalapsye kadācana | bhaviṣyati ca yā kācidbhaikṣyavatsvayamudyatā

if ever I find a maiden who bears my own name, one who is offered to me of her own accord, like alms,

Note on the text: Wikisource divides these lines half a verse off from the critical edition: this verse corresponds to CE 1.42.6cd–7ab.

Verse 9 (1.46.9)

प्रतिग्रहीता तामस्मि न भरेयं च यामहम् । एवंविधमहं कुर्यां निवेशं प्राप्नुयां यदि । अन्यथा न करिष्येऽहं सत्यमेतत्पितामहाः ॥

pratigrahītā tāmasmi na bhareyaṃ ca yāmaham | evaṃvidhamahaṃ kuryāṃ niveśaṃ prāpnuyāṃ yadi | anyathā na kariṣye'haṃ satyametatpitāmahāḥ

and whom I shall not have to maintain: her I will accept. If I can find a marriage of that kind I will make it; otherwise I will not. This is the truth, grandfathers.

Note on the text: Wikisource divides these lines half a verse off from the critical edition: this verse corresponds to CE 1.42.7cd–8. It has three lines in Wikisource.

Verse 10 (1.46.10)

तत्र चोत्पत्स्यते जन्तुर्भवतां तारणाय वै । शाश्वताश्चाव्ययाश्चैव तिष्ठन्तु पितरो मम ॥

tatra cotpatsyate janturbhavatāṃ tāraṇāya vai | śāśvatāścāvyayāścaiva tiṣṭhantu pitaro mama

From her a son will be born to deliver you. May my ancestors abide forever, imperishable."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 11 (1.46.11)

एवमुक्त्वा तु स पितॄंश्चचार पृथिवीं मुनिः । न च स्म लभते भार्यां वृद्धोऽयमिति शौनक ॥

evamuktvā tu sa pitṝṃścacāra pṛthivīṃ muniḥ | na ca sma labhate bhāryāṃ vṛddho'yamiti śaunaka

Having said this to his ancestors, the sage roamed the earth; but, Shaunaka, he could not find a wife, for people thought, "He is old."

Note on the text: Corrected पृथिवी → पृथिवीं (misprint in Wikisource; the accusative, as the critical edition reads pṛthivīṃ) and शानक → शौनक (misprint in Wikisource; the vocative śaunaka).

Verse 12 (1.46.12)

यदा निर्वेदमापन्नः पितृभिश्चोदितस्तथा । तदाऽरण्यं स गत्वोच्चैश्चुक्रोश भृशदुःखितः ॥

yadā nirvedamāpannaḥ pitṛbhiścoditastathā | tadā'raṇyaṃ sa gatvoccaiścukrośa bhṛśaduḥkhitaḥ

When he had sunk into despair, urged on as he was by his ancestors, he went into the forest and cried aloud in great distress.

Note on the text: Corrected पितृभिश्चोदिस्तथा → पितृभिश्चोदितस्तथा (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara, the critical edition reads coditas).

Verse 13 (1.46.13)

स त्वरण्यगतः प्राज्ञः पितॄणां हितकाम्यया । उवाच कन्यां याचामि तिस्रो वाचः शनैरिमाः ॥

sa tvaraṇyagataḥ prājñaḥ pitṝṇāṃ hitakāmyayā | uvāca kanyāṃ yācāmi tisro vācaḥ śanairimāḥ

Once in the forest, the wise man, seeking the good of his ancestors, said softly three times, "I ask for a maiden," and spoke these words:

Note on the text: Word division corrected सत्वरण्यगतः → स त्वरण्यगतः (sa tv araṇyagataḥ); corrected पितॄणा → पितॄणां (misprint in Wikisource; missing anusvara of the genitive plural). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 14 (1.46.14)

यानि भूतानि सन्तीह स्थावराणि चराणि च । अन्तर्हितानि वा यानि तानि शृण्वन्तु मे वचः ॥

yāni bhūtāni santīha sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca | antarhitāni vā yāni tāni śṛṇvantu me vacaḥ

"Whatever beings there are here, moving and unmoving, and those that are hidden from sight, let them hear my words.

Verse 15 (1.46.15)

उग्रे तपसि वर्तन्तं पितरश्चोदयन्ति माम् । निविशस्वेति दुःखार्ताः सन्तानस्य चिकीर्षया ॥

ugre tapasi vartantaṃ pitaraścodayanti mām | niviśasveti duḥkhārtāḥ santānasya cikīrṣayā

While I was engaged in fierce austerity, my ancestors, stricken with grief and wishing for offspring, have urged me, ‘Marry!’

Verse 16 (1.46.16)

निवेशायाखिलां भूमिं कन्याभैक्ष्यं चरामि भोः । दरिद्रो दुःखशीलश्च पितृभिः सन्नियोजितः ॥

niveśāyākhilāṃ bhūmiṃ kanyābhaikṣyaṃ carāmi bhoḥ | daridro duḥkhaśīlaśca pitṛbhiḥ sanniyojitaḥ

To marry, sirs, I wander the whole earth begging for a maiden as alms, poor, living in hardship, and bidden by my ancestors.

Verse 17 (1.46.17)

यस्य कन्याऽस्ति भूतस्य ये मयेह प्रकीर्तिताः । ते मे कन्यां प्रयच्छन्तु चरतः सर्वतोदिशम् ॥

yasya kanyā'sti bhūtasya ye mayeha prakīrtitāḥ | te me kanyāṃ prayacchantu carataḥ sarvatodiśam

Whichever of the beings I have named here has a daughter, let them give me that maiden as I wander in every direction.

Verse 18 (1.46.18)

मम कन्या सनाम्नी या भैक्ष्यवच्चोदिता भवेत् । भरेयं चैव यां नाहं तां मे कन्यां प्रयच्छत ॥

mama kanyā sanāmnī yā bhaikṣyavaccoditā bhavet | bhareyaṃ caiva yāṃ nāhaṃ tāṃ me kanyāṃ prayacchata

A maiden who bears my name, offered to me like alms, and whom I shall not have to maintain: give me such a maiden."

Verse 19 (1.46.19)

ततस्ते पन्नगा ये वै जरत्कारौ समाहिताः । तामादाय प्रवृत्तिं ते वासुकेः प्रत्यवेदयन् ॥

tataste pannagā ye vai jaratkārau samāhitāḥ | tāmādāya pravṛttiṃ te vāsukeḥ pratyavedayan

Then the serpents who had been set to watch Jaratkaru took this news and reported it to Vasuki.

Verse 20 (1.46.20)

तेषां श्रुत्वा स नागेन्द्रस्तां कन्यां समलङ्कृताम् । प्रगृह्यारण्यमगमत्समीपं तस्य पन्नगः ॥

teṣāṃ śrutvā sa nāgendrastāṃ kanyāṃ samalaṅkṛtām | pragṛhyāraṇyamagamatsamīpaṃ tasya pannagaḥ

Hearing them, the serpent, lord of the Nagas, took that maiden, richly adorned, and went to the forest, to where the sage was.

Verse 21 (1.46.21)

तत्र तां भैक्ष्यवत्कन्यां प्रादात्तस्मै महात्मने । नागेन्द्रो वासुकिर्ब्रह्मन्न स तां प्रत्यगृह्णत ॥

tatra tāṃ bhaikṣyavatkanyāṃ prādāttasmai mahātmane | nāgendro vāsukirbrahmanna sa tāṃ pratyagṛhṇata

There, brahmin, Vasuki, lord of the Nagas, offered the maiden like alms to that great-souled one; but he did not accept her,

Verse 22 (1.46.22)

असनामेति वै मत्वा भरणे चाविचारिते । मोक्षभावे स्थितश्चापि मन्दीभूतः परिग्रहे ॥

asanāmeti vai matvā bharaṇe cāvicārite | mokṣabhāve sthitaścāpi mandībhūtaḥ parigrahe

thinking that she did not share his name and that her maintenance had not been settled; and, set as he was on liberation, he was slow to take a wife.

Verse 23 (1.46.23)

ततो नाम स कन्यायाः पप्रच्छ भृगुनन्दन । वासुकिं भरणं चास्या न कुर्यामित्युवाच ह ॥

tato nāma sa kanyāyāḥ papraccha bhṛgunandana | vāsukiṃ bharaṇaṃ cāsyā na kuryāmityuvāca ha

Then, son of Bhrigu, he asked Vasuki the maiden’s name, and said, "I shall not maintain her."