Sauti said: Having heard the words that fell from the snakes and also what fell from Vasuki, Elapatra addressed them thus.

"That sacrifice is not such as would be prevented and Janamejaya of the Pandava race, who is our great terror, is not such as he can be obstructed.

O King, he who is afflicted by Fate, has his recourse to Fate alone. Nothing else can be his refuge.

O best of the snakes, the root of our terror is Fate and therefore, Fate alone must be our refuge. Listen to what I say.

O best of the snakes, when that curse was uttered, I lay in fear, crouching on my mother's lap. O best of the snakes, O Lord, O snake of great splendour, I heard from that place the sorrowing gods speaking to the Grandsire saying,

The celestials said: O Grandsire, O god of gods, who but Kadru, after getting such dear children, can curse them even in your presence!

O Grandsire, you have also said, “Be it so." We wish to know the reason why you did not prevent her,

Brahma said: The snakes have multiplied, they are cruel, terrible in form and deadly poisonous. I did not prevent Kadru (from uttering the curse) from the desire of doing good to all creatures.

The poisonous serpents that have always the biting propensity, those that bite for little faults and those who are sinful, will be destroyed, but not those that are virtuous.

Hear, how the snakes may escape from this dreadful calamity when the time will come,

There will be born in the race of Yayavaras, a great Rishi, known by the name of Jaratkaru, who will be intelligent, greatly ascetic and self-controlled.

That Jaratkaru will have a son, named Astika, who will also be a great Rishi. He will put a stop to the Snake-sacrifice. Those snakes that will be virtuous will escape (from the Snake-sacrificial fire.)

The celestials said : O Brahma, in whom will Jaratkaru, the foremost of the Rishis, gifted with great powers and asceticism, beget that illustrious son?

Brahma said: The best of Brahmanas, the greatly powerful (Jaratkaru) will beget a greatly powerful son on his wife who will bear the same name as his.

Vasuki, the king of the snakes, has a sister, named Jaratkaru: the son I speak of will be born in her womb and he will save the snakes.

Elapatra said : The celestials said to the Grandsire, "Be it so," and the lord Brahma, having said all this to the celestial went to heaven.

O Vasuki, I see before me your that sister, known by the name of Jaratkaru. To save us from this great calamity, give her as a gift to the Rishi Jaratkaru of rigid vows, who will roam about begging for a bride. This means of our safety has been heard by me.