JARATKĀRU I A hermit who is Purāṇically famous.
1)
Birth. This hermit was born in a Brāhmaṇa dynasty known as Yāyāvaras. He was the only son of Yāyāvaras.
[M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 13] .
2)
The name Jaratkāru. The meaning of the name Jaratkāru is given in
[Bhāṣābhārata, Ādī Parva, Chapter 40] , as follows:-- “Jarā is consumption, Kāru is dāruṇa (awful). By and by his body became hard and awful and by penance he made his body to wear out, and so he got the name ‘Jaratkāru’.” By means of penance he made his body lean and worn out and so got the name Jaratkāru.
3)
Marriage. The calm and abstemious Jaratkāru remained unmarried for a long time. One day he happened to meet with his Manes. They were holding on to a grass and were about to fall into hell, and a rat was cutting the root of the grass which was their only hold. The moment the root is severed all the Manes would fall into the deep ravine of hell. It was at this juncture that Jaratkāru, met his Manes. The moment they saw him they said, “See Jaratkāru, we are your Manes. We have to obtain, heaven, life, contentment and happiness by the good deeds of your son. So go and get married quickly.” At first he did not like the talk about marriage. Still, in order to procure heaven for his ancestors he agreed to get married. But he made a condition that the name of the bride also should be Jaratkāru and she should be given to him as alms. Saying these words, he walked away along the forest. News reached the ears of Vāsuki, the King of the Nāgas (serpents) that the hermit Jaratkāru was wandering through the forests calling out that somebody should give him as alms a damsel named Jaratkāru. Vāsuki had a sister. Jaratkāru was her name. Vāsuki decided to give her to the hermit Jaratkāru. She was adorned with costly garments and ornaments and was taken to the hermit Jaratkāru. Jaratkāru said:-- “Hear my condition, I will not cherish her if she causes displeasure to me. If she does so I will send her away instantly.” On condition that if she did anything displeasing to him he would leave her at once, the hermit Jaratkāru married Jaratkāru the sister of Vāsuki.
[Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 2] ;
[Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapters 13 and 47] .
4)
Leaves his wife. Jaratkāru lived in the hermitage with her husband looking after him with love and loyalty. One day the hermit was sleeping with his head on the lap of his wife. Though it was sunset the hermit slept on. It was time for the evening worship of the hermit. If he is aroused he will get angry. The wife was in a difficult situation. Anyhow she aroused her husband. The hermit got up full of anger and shouted, “You have hindered my sleep, you wicked woman and teased me. So from today you are not my wife. I am going away.” She begged him for pardon with tears. But without paying any heed to the entreaties of his pregnant wife, he left her. The helpless Jaratkāru gave birth to a son named Āstīka who later stopped the famous sacrifice, Sarpa Satra meant for killing the serpents.
[M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 47] . See under Jaratkāru II.
JARATKĀRU II 1)
General information. It occurs in
[Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 9] , about Jaratkāru, the sister of Vāsuki and the wife of hermit Jaratkāru as follows. This devī (goddess) is the daughter of Prajāpati Kaśyapa, born from his mind. So she got the name Manasādevī (goddess born from mind). Some think that she got the name Manasādevī because she is the deity of mind. There are some who imagine that she got the name Manasādevī because she held Śrī Kṛṣṇa Paramātman (the Supreme Spirit) firmly in her mind. This devī had been meditating upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa Paramātmā for three yugas (world-ages) She is known by twelve names.
(1)
Jaratkāru. Manasādevī had been performing penance, and meditating upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa Paramātman for three complete yugas and her garments and body were worn out. So Kṛṣṇa gave her the name Jaratkāru.
(2)
Jagadgaurī. Because she was comely and beautiful and of fair complexion and was worshipped all over the world, she got the name Jagadgaurī.
(3)
Manasā. Because she was born from the mind of Kaśyapa, the name “Manasā” was given to her.
(4)
Siddhayoginī. As the fruits of her Tapas (penance), she got the attainments of Yoga (meditation, devotion, contemplation and other ways of union with the Universal Soul) and so she was given the name Siddhayoginī.
(5)
Vaiṣṇavī. Because she had constant devotion to Mahāviṣṇu she was called Vaiṣṇavī.
(6)
Nāgabhaginī. Because she was the sister of Vāsuki the King of the Nāgas, she got the name Nāgabhaginī. (Sister of Nāga).
(7)
Śaivī. As she was a disciple of Śiva she got the name Śaivī.
(8)
Nāgeśvari. Because she saved the Nāgas (serpents) from the Sarpasatra (sacrifice for killing the serpents) of Janamejaya the son of the King Parīkṣit, she got the name Nāgeśvarī.
(9)
Jaratkārupriyā. Because she became the wife of the hermit Jaratkāru she was called Jaratkārupriyā.
(10)
Āstikamātā. Because she was the mother of the hermit Āstīka she got the name Āstīkamātā.
(11)
Viṣahārī. Because she was the goddess who destroyed poison, she was known by the name Viṣahārī.
(12)
Mahājñānavatī. Since she had the attainments of vast knowledge, yoga and the power of bringing the dead to life, she was given the name Mahājñānavatī.
2)
Birth. Once the serpents became a plague to the men of the earth and they all went to Prajāpati Kaśyapa and made their complaints. Kaśyapa and Brahmā consulted each other and at the instruction of Brahmā Kaśyapa created several Mantras (spells and incantations) and Manasādevī from his mind as the deity of these spells.
3)
Power of her tapas (penance). When she was very young she went to Kailāsa and performed penance to Paramaśiva for a thousand years. At last Śiva appeared before her and gave her the divine knowledge, and taught her the Sāmaveda. He gave her the divine Śrī Kṛṣṇa mantra (a spell) called ‘Aṣṭākṣarī’ and the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Kavaca (the armour of Kṛṣṇa) called Trailokyamaṅgala’ and taught her how to use them in worship. Wearing this armour and using the spell she performed penance in Puṣkara, meditating upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa Paramātmā, for three yugas (world ages). At the end of this period Śrī Kṛṣṇa Paramātmā appeared before her and gave her all the boons she wanted. Śrī Kṛṣṇa said that all over the world she would be worshipped and that she had power to give boons to her worshippers.
4)
Marriage and rejection. Kaśyapa gave his daughter Manasādevī in marriage to Jaratkāru, a hermit. As they were living in the hermitage, once the hermit slept with his head on the lap of his wife. Seeing the setting sun she aroused her husband. The hermit became angry and decided to reject her. She thought of the Devas, who instantly arrived. Brahmā argued that it was not meet and right to reject his wife before a child was born to her. The hermit touched the groin of his wife and prayed and with the power of yoga (meditation, contemplation etc.) she became pregnant. The son born to her is the famous hermit Āstīka. After giving birth to Āstīka she went to Kailāsa, where Parameśvara and Pārvatī received her.
5)
The mantra (incantation) of worship. To get the attainment of Manasādevī one has to utter the spell (mantra) “Oṁ Hrīṁ-Śrīm-Klīṁ-Aiṁ-Manasādevyai svāhā” five lakh times. He who has got the attainment of this mantra as given above will be equal to Dhanvantari (the physician of the Gods) and to him poison will be Amṛta [ambrosia]. This goddess could be invoked into a secluded room on the day of Saṅkrānti (Transit of the Sun). If offerings of oblations and worship are carried on, he would be blessed with children, wealth and fame.