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 of the Rishi Jaratkaru, commanded all the
serpents, a 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.'"

SECTION XL

(Astika Parva continued)

"Saunaka said, 'O son of Suta, I desire to know the reason why the
illustrious Rishi whom thou hast named Jaratkaru came to be so called on
earth. It behoveth thee to tell us the etymology of the name Jaratkaru.'

"Sauti said, 'Jara is said to mean waste, and Karu implies huge. This
Rishi's body had been huge, and he gradually reduced it by severe ascetic
penances. For the same reason, O Brahmanas, the sister of Vasuki was
called Jaratkaru.'

The virtuous Saunaka, when he heard this, smiled and addressing
Ugrasravas said, 'It is even so.'

Saunaka then said, 'I have heard all that thou hast before recited. I
desire to know how Astika was born.'

Sauti, on hearing these words, began to relate according to what was
written in the Sastras.

"Sauti said, 'Vasuki, desirous of bestowing his sister upon the Rishi
Jaratkaru, gave the snakes (necessary) orders. But days went on, yet that
wise Muni of rigid vows, deeply engaged in ascetic devotions, did not
seek for a wife. That high-souled Rishi, engaged in studies and deeply
devoted to asceticism, his vital seed under full control, fearlessly
wandered over the whole earth and had no wish for a wife.

"Afterwards, once upon a time, there was a king, O Brahmana, of the name
of Parikshit, born in the race of the Kauravas. And, like his
great-grandfather Pandu of old, he was of mighty arms, the first of all
bearers of bows in battle, and fond of hu