(Astika Parva continued)
"Meanwhile the great ascetic Jaratkaru wandered over the whole earth
making the place where evening fell his home for the night. And gifted
with ascetic power, he roamed, practising various vows difficult to be
practised by the immature, and bathing also in various sacred waters. And
the Muni had air alone for his food and was free from desire of worldly
enjoyment. And he became daily emaciated and grew lean-fleshed. And one
day he saw the spirits of his ancestors, heads down, in a hole, by a cord
of virana roots having only one thread entire. And that even single thread
was being gradually eaten away by a large rat dwelling in that hole. And
the Pitris in that hole were without food, emaciated, pitiable, and
eagerly desirous of salvation. And Jaratkaru, approaching the pitiable
ones, himself in humble guise, asked them, 'Who are ye hanging by this cord
of virana roots? The single weak root that is still left in this cord of
virana roots already eaten away by the rat, dwelling in this hole, is
itself being gradually eaten away by the same rat with his sharp teeth.
The little that remains of that single thread will soon be cut away. It is
clear ye shall then have to fall down into this pit with faces downwards.
Seeing you with faces downwards, and overtaken by this great calamity, my
pity hath been excited. What good can I do to you. Tell me quickly whether
this calamity can be averted by a fourth, a third, or even by the
sacrifice of a half of this my asceticism, O, relieve yourselves even with
the whole of my asceticism. I consent to all this. Do ye as ye please.'
"The Pitris said, 'Venerable Brahmacharin, thou desirest to relieve us.
But, O foremost of Brahmanas, thou canst not dispel our affliction by thy
asceticism. O child, O first of speakers, we too have the fruits of our
asceticism. But, O Brahmana, it is for the loss of children that we are
falling down into this unholy hell. The grandsire himself hath said that a
son is a great merit. As we are about to be cast in this hole, our ideas
are no longer clear. Therefore, O child, we know thee not, although thy
manhood is well-known on earth. Venerable thou art and of good fortune,
thou who thus from kindness grievest for us worthy of pity and greatly
afflicted. O Brahmana, listen, who we are. We are Rishis of the Yayavara
sect, of rigid vows. And, O Muni, from loss of children, we have fallen
down from a sacred region. Our severe penances have not been destroyed; we
have a thread yet. But we have only one thread now. It matters little,
however, whether he is or is not. Unfortunate as we are, we have a thread
in one, known as Jaratkaru. The unfortunate one has gone through the Vedas
and their branches and is practising asceticism alone. He being one with
soul under complete control, desires set high, observant of vows, deeply
engaged in ascetic penances, and free from greed for the merits of
asceticism, we have been reduced to this deplorable state. He hath no wife,
no son, no relatives. Therefore, do we hang in this hole, our
consciousness lost, like men having none to take care of them. If thou
meetest him, O, tell him, from thy kindness to ourselves. "Thy Pitris, in
sorrow, are hanging with faces downwards in a hole. Holy one, take a wife
and beget children. O thou of ascetic wealth, thou art, O amiable one, the
only thread that remaineth in the line of thy ancestors." O Brahmana, the
cord of virana roots that thou seest we are hanging by, is the cord
representing our multiplied race. And, O Brahmana, these threads of the
cord of virana roots that thou seest as eaten away, are ourselves who have
been eaten up by Time. This root thou seest hath been half-eaten and by
which we are hanging in this hole is he that hath adopted asceticism alone.
The rat that thou beholdest is Time of infinite strength. And he (Time) is
gradually weakening the wretch Jaratkaru engaged in ascetic penances
tempted by the merits thereof, but wanting in prudence and heart. O
excellent one, his asceticism cannot save us. Behold, our roots being torn,
cast down from higher regions, deprived of consciousness by Time, we are
going downwards like sinful wretches. And upon our going down into this
hole with all our relatives, eaten up by Time, even he shall sink with us
into hell. O child, whether it is asceticism, or sacrifice, or whatever
else there be of very holy acts, everything is inferior. These cannot
count with a son. O child, having seen all, speak unto that Jaratkaru of
ascetic wealth. Thou shouldst tell him in detail everything that thou hast
beheld. And, O Brahmana, from thy kindness towards us, thou shouldst tell
him all that would induce him to take a wife and beget children. Amongst
his friends, or of our own race, who art thou, O excellent one, that thus
grievest for us all like a friend? We wish to hear who thou art that
stayest here.'"