Charles Augustus Kincaid

“ All creatures living in the world, listen to my words. I roam over the earth looking for a bride so that I may beget a son and save my ancestors. But she must be named Jaratkaru, and she must come to me as a gift, and I will not bear the cost of her maintenance. Therefore if any of you have such a daughter, give her to me in marriage.
Now the snake king Vasuki had sent snakes to watch the rishi Jaratkaru and to follow him wherever he went. When they heard him cry aloud in this manner they hastened to tell Vasuki. ”

“ For we who hang head downwards are your ancestors. The single cord which supports us is your life, Jaratkaru. Every day a rat comes and nibbles at the cord. And the rat is Time, which is eating away your life; and when Time has eaten it, we shall all fall headlong into Hell, which lies at the bottom of this pit. There is but one way in which you can save us. Marry a wife and beget a son and he will be a new cord to save us from Hell."
Jaratkaru was greatly grieved, for he had no wish to wed a wife. ”

“ Calling to the snakes who were his attendants he turned them into Brahmans. And giving them baskets of fruits and flowers bade them go the palace as holy men who wished to make offerings to King Parikshit the Bharata. When they had reached the palace the guards permitted them as holy men to enter it and offer the king their basket of fruits and flowers. He graciously accepted the offering. But inside one of the fruits Prince Takshaka lay hidden in the form of a tiny insect. And when the king began to eat the fruits, he chose first the very one in which the snake prince lay concealed. ”

“ They had great wealth, and when Supratika grew to manhood, he wished to divide it. 'Give me my share,' he said, 'O my brother, of our wealth.' 'No, my brother,' answered Vivavasu. 'The wise never divide wealth. ”

“ On the seventh day Takshaka the snake prince left his palace under the earth to kill King Parikshit and thus fulfil the rishi Sringi's curse. Now about the same time a certain Brahman named Kashyapa, who was skilled above all men in curing snake-bites, resolved to go to Hastinapura and to earn great wealth by curing King Parikshit after Prince Takshaka had bitten him. ”

“ For they had set free Queen Vinata and her son Garuda without receiving their price, and Queen Kadru had never taken from them her fearful curse that they would all be consumed in the snake sacrifice of king Janamejaya the Bharata. Some snakes said, "Let us bite all men and beasts to death" other snakes said, "Let us hinder the worship of the gods so that they may be forced to stay our mother's curse" ”