(Astika Parva continued)
Sauti said, "O best of regenerate ones, hearing these words of Elapatra,
all the serpents, in great delight, exclaimed, 'Well said, well said!' And
from that time Vasuki set about carefully bringing up that maiden, viz.,
his sister Jaratkaru. And he took great delight in rearing her.
"And much time did not elapse from this, when the gods and the Asuras,
assembling together, churned the abode of Varuna. And Vasuki, the foremost
of all gifted with strength, became the churning-cord. And directly the
work was over, the king of the snakes presented himself before the
Grandsire. And the gods, accompanied by Vasuki, addressed the Grandsire,
saying, 'O lord, Vasuki is suffering great affliction from fear of (his
mother's curse). It behoveth thee to root out the sorrow, begotten of the
curse of his mother, that hath pierced the heart of Vasuki desirous of the
weal of his race. The king of the snakes is ever our friend and benefactor.
O Lord of the gods, be gracious unto him and assuage his mind's fever.'
"Brahman replied, 'O ye immortals, I have thought, in my mind, of what ye
have said. Let the king of the snakes do that which hath been communicated
to him before by Elapatra. The time hath arrived. Those only shall be
destroyed that are wicked, not those that are virtuous. Jaratkaru hath
been born, and that Brahmana is engaged in hard ascetic penances. Let
Vasuki, at the proper time, bestow on him his sister. Ye gods, what hath
been spoken by the snake Elapatra for the weal of the snakes is true and
not otherwise.'"
Sauti continued, "Then the king of the snakes, Vasuki, afflicted with the
curse of his mother, hearing these words of the Grandsire, and intending
to bestow his sister on the Rishi Jaratkaru, commanded all the serpents,
large numbers of whom were ever attentive to their duties, to watch the
Rishi Jaratkaru, saying, 'When the lord Jaratkaru will ask for a wife,
come immediately and inform me of it. The weal of our race depends upon
it.'"