Janamejaya's Sarp Yagya-1: Jaratkaaru Meets His Pitar

Soot Jee said - "Meanwhile Jaratkaaru wandered over the earth practicing great feats of penance, living on air only. As he was wandering around he saw the spirits of his ancestors hanging downward in a hole only by roots of a tree with one thread and that thread was also eaten by a large rat who lived in that hole. Jaratkaaru got pity on them and asked them as who were they and if he could help them by giving them even half of the fruits of his asceticism. Those spirits said - "You cannot dispel our bad luck by your asceticism, we have our own asceticism also. It is for loss of our children that we are hanging in here. We are Rishi of Yaayaavar family. Our penances have not been destroyed yet. We have one thread. We have Jaratkaaru as our thread. Unfortunately he has gone for penance. If you meet him, tell him that his ancestors are hanging down in a hole. He should take wife and produce children. He is the only thread in our family now. The rat you are seeing now, he is the Time immortal and of infinite strength; and these roots by which we are hanging are ourselves the Time is eating. After us, he will also fall in Hell. Everything is inferior to son, be it Tapasyaa or sacrifice. So please, whoever you are, tell him to have a son. Although we don't know you, but still we like to know who you are?"

Jaratkaaru got very sorry to hear this and he said - "I am Jaratkaaru and you are my Pitar. I am your sinful son, punish me for my sins." His Pitar said - "It is by our good luck that you have come here. Why didn't you marry?" Jaratkaaru said - "I intended not to marry but now after seeing you in this state I have changed my mind. I will certainly marry of a girl of my own name and whom I wouldn't have to maintain, if I meet her anytime. And the son she will beget will be your salvation." Soot Jee said - "Hey Muni, After saying thus Muni wandered again on Prithvi, but being old he couldn't get a wife. Going in a forest he started weeping bitterly. He cried saying, "I need a wife." three times. Then he said - "Listen whoever creatures are here. My ancestors are in grief. They have asked me to marry, so I am roaming around in search of a wife who has been give to me in alms. She should bear the same name as mine and whom I will not maintain." Now those snakes whom Vaasuki sent around were hearing this. They went to Vaasuki and informed him about this.

Hearing this Vaasuki adorned his sister with beautiful clothes and ornaments and went to the forest and gave her to him in alms, but the Rishi did not accept her at once. He asked Vaasuki his sister's name and said that he would not maintain her.

Jaratkaaru Marries Vaasuki's Sister and Aasteek is Born

Soo Jee said - "At this Vaasuki said to him - "Her name is Jaratkaaru, she is my sister and I will maintain her." He then went to Vaasuki's house and married his sister by religious rites. Then he entered a separate chamber provided by the snakes. They lived there happily. The Rishi said to his wife - "You should never say or do anything which is against my liking, otherwise I will leave you and go away from here." His wife got very sad hearing this but said - "Be it so." And that lady started working for him with the wakefulness of a dog, timidity of a deer, and knowledge of signs possessed by crow. Once after taking monthly bath she got pregnant.

One day, Jaratkaaru slept in his wife's lap very tired. Evening fell and Rishi's wife became feared for the loss of her husband's virtue. "What should I do? The alternatives are loss of virtue, and his anger." Deciding what she had to do, she softly tried to wake him up - "Get up, the Sun is setting." Jaratkaaru got angry at this and said - "You have insulted me, I will go where I have come from. Sun cannot set when I am asleep." Rishi's wife trembled and said - "I did not mean to insult you, I just woke you up so that your virtue is not lost." Jaratkaaru said - "I am leaving you now. I lived happily with you. When I am gone tell your brother that there is no need to grieve for me."

Lady Jaratkaaru, with her eyes filled with tears, her face pale with fear, spoke to him - "It is not appropriate for you to leave me without any fault. You have always followed the path of virtue and so did I. The objective for which I was given to you has not been fulfilled yet, what shall I tell my brother? The child to remove the curse of our mother has not yet born. Their welfare depends on the child born from you. Why do you leave me while I am faultless?" Jaratkaaru said - "O fortunate one, The child you have conceived is very virtuous and knows all Ved." Saying thus he went away for penance.

Soot Jee said - "Hearing this Jaratkaaru went to her brother and told him everything. He said to her - "You know very well that whoever son will be born from him, only he can save us. Have you conceived from him? Although it is not proper for me ask you all this, but the gravity of situation demands this. Knowing his obstinacy, I will not follow him. Tell me everything in detail what he has done with you?" Jaratkaaru said - "Asked about the child, he said "There is." and went away. I have never heard him speaking even in jest. Why should he speak lie on such a serious occasion? He said - "You should not grieve, a son will be born to you." and he went away, so I don't see any reason for sorrow."

Vaasuki got satisfied and he adorned his sister with great wealth. In due course of time a son was born to her and he was brought up in Naag's house. He studied Ved from Maharshi Chayavan. He was named Aasteek (means whoever is) because his father went to forest saying "There is".

How Pareekshit Died?

Shaunak Jee asked - "Soot Jee, Tell us, what Janamejaya asked his ministers about the death of his father?" Soot Jee said - "Hearing all this Janamejaya asked his ministers - "Tell me about my father's death in detail. I will do something if it is for the welfare of the world, otherwise I won't do anything." The minister replied - "Your father was very kind to every creature. He was specially favorite of Govind. Because he was born when your father's family line was about to extinguish, that is why you were named as Pareekshit (born in an extinct line). Your father ruled for 60 years. Then he died and after that you were crowned and now you are ruling for the last 1,000 years. You became the king when you were a child."

Janamejaya said - "In our family all have been very kind to their subjects. How my father died? I want to hear it in detail." Soot Jee said - "Ministers told him everything. They said - "Your father got addicted to hunting and he handed over everything of his kingdom, from small to big, to us. One day he shot an arrow to a deer, the deer ran away and so did your father after him. However, he did not see the deer, but soon he got tired. Then he saw a Muni. The Muni was observing silence vow, that is why when the King asked about the deer, he did not reply. The King got angry at this and put a dead snake on his shoulder, still Muni did not speak."

Soot Jee said - "Muni had a son, born from cow, named Shringee. He was known for his great powers and energy. He was coming back from his Guru's house to his house, he heard about the insult done to his faultless father by your father. He got angry and gave Shaap to your father that "whoever has done this, Takshak will bite him to death on the seventh day from today." When he came to his father, he told all this to him. His father was not happy at all at this, but he could not do anything except to inform this to the King. When the seventh day came, a Braahman named Kashyap, was going to the King. Takshak asked him where was he going so fast. He said - "I am going to the King to save him from Takshak bite." Takshak said - "I am Takshak and I will bite him. You will not be able to revive him." Kashyap challenged that he could revive him and he demonstrated it by reviving a banyan tree bitten by Takshak. Takshak, then tempted him and sent him back by giving him his desired wealth. Then he bit him who was living in a well-guarded mansion, in disguise. After that you were crowned as the king. Considering the discomfort of your father and the insult of Uttank Rishi, now you may decide what you have to do."

Soot Jee continued - "Janamejaya asked his minister - "When did you know about Kashyap and his revival of banyan tree? I am sure my father could not have died of Takshak bite, if Kahsyap had revived him. Takshak thought that his bite will be useless if Kshyap had reached there and had revived him. People will laugh at him. I have a way to punish that Braahman, but first I like to know what really happened in that forest, then I will devise the means to extinguish snake race."

The minister said - "Listen, On that day a person climbed on that tree to break its some dry branches. for sacrifice. When Takshak burned that tree, he was also burned to ashes along with the tree; and when Kashyap revived the tree, he was also revived. He told us everything." Hearing all this Janamejaya wept bitterly. He then touched the water and said to the minister - "I think now we should not waste time any more and take revenge with Takshak. He bit my father making the Shringee only a secondary cause. What would he have lost if my father was revived by Kashyap. I will surely take the revenge of this."

Janamejaya Starts Sarp Yagya

Soot Jee said - "Thus Janamejaya determined to take revenge from Takshak. He called Braahman and his Ritwik and asked them if there was any way by which he could burn Takshak. He said - "I have to take revenge from him on the account of the death of my father." The chief priest said - "A great sacrifice, called snake sacrifice (Sarp Yagya) has been devised by Devtaa themselves. It is written in Puraan. It cannot be accomplished alone, it is written in Puraan."

Janamejaya said - "I shall prepare for the Yagya, you tell me what do I need for it." The land was acquired, a platform was built and Braahman installed the King to do the sacrifice. But an incident occurred during the construction of the platform. An intelligent, professional, knowledgeable in laying in foundations, a Soot by caste, builder predicted that "the soil upon which this platform is made, indicates that this sacrifice will not be completed. A Braahman will obstruct this." Hearing this the king ordered not to let enter anybody without his permission."

Soot Jee said - "The Yagya started causing a great fear in the hearts of snakes. As Braahman uttered Mantra and poured Aahuti of Ghee in Fire, snakes of all kinds started falling in the fire. Those measuring Kos, those measuring Yojan, those measuring Gokarn - all started falling in the fire.