Vasuki Offers His Sister to Jaratkaru

In his palace under the earth, Vasuki, the king of the snakes, received the report from his watchers. He heard the exact terms: a maiden named Jaratkaru, given as alms, with no expectation of support. He did not delay. Vasuki went immediately to the forest where the sage was, and he took his maiden sister with him. She was adorned in various ornaments, prepared for this destined meeting. The snake king approached the great-souled sage and, following the very wording of the public plea, offered the maiden as alms. Jaratkaru did not immediately accept her. The sage’s mind, trained in suspicion of any deviation from his vow, began to calculate. He thought that she might not have the same name as his. The issue of maintaining her also remained unsettled in his mind. He hesitated, caught in two minds about accepting the gift that was being presented. He looked at Vasuki. Before anything else could be decided, he had to verify the conditions. He asked the snake king for the maiden’s name. And he reiterated, clearly, the final clause of his vow: he would not support her. The offer hung in the air between them, accepted only in principle, pending the answer to a single question.