Jaratkaru

Jaratkaru is a rishi (sage) in Hindu mythology. He is the husband of the serpent-goddess Manasa and father of their son Astika. He appears as a subordinate character in the tales of Manasa and Astika.

Jaratkaru is described as a great learned sage who practises severe asceticism. Though he wants to remain celibate, he marries Manasa on persuasion of his dead ancestors, who are doomed to fall to hell if he does not procreate. The marriage fails, with hardly any emotional bond between the couple. Jaratkaru finally forsakes Manasa when she wakes him from his deep slumber and he feels insulted. However, he impregnates her before leaving her forever. Manasa gives birth to Astika in his absence. Little is known about his early life before meeting Manasa or his later life, after abandoning her.

Background

Jaratkaru appears in the tales of Astika and Manasa in the Hindu scriptures Mahabharata, the Devi Bhagavata Purana, and the Brahma Vaivarta Purana. The tale of Astika is narrated twice in Astika Parva chapter of the first Book of the Mahabharata, Adi Parva. He is also a character in folk tales related to the worship of his wife, the snake goddess.