THE LIVING ARCHIVE
About Jaratkaru
The saving prophecy places him in the Yayavara ascetic line. His wife is a different person with the same name: she belongs to the family of Vasuki, a serpent leader. Keeping the two Jaratkarus distinct makes Astika's connection to both families clear.
Jaratkaru initially intends to remain celibate and live as a renunciant. Seeing the danger to his forebears changes his decision. He seeks a child to preserve their line while trying to retain his own ascetic independence.
AT A GLANCE
Identity & Context
- Identity
- Rishi
- Form
- Rishi / teacher / narrator
- Tradition
- Mahabharata · Puranic
- Also Known As
- Jaratkaru (sage)
- World & Associations
- Hermitage; ancestral narrative
Ascetic sage and father of Astika; his wife also bears the name Jaratkaru in the epic.
Family & Relationships
Family Context
These relationships follow the traditions described here. Some details remain uncertain and should not be treated as a single universal genealogy.
THE STORY
Life & Stories
Story Connections
- Marriage for ancestral continuity
- Astika's birth
ROLE & ESSENCE
Attributes & Significance
The marriage links duties that pull the family in different directions. Jaratkaru seeks continuity for his ancestors, his wife acts to protect religious observance, and her brother hopes the child will preserve the serpent family.
Role
Ascetic sage and father of Astika; his wife also bears the name Jaratkaru in the epic.
Attributes & Abilities
- Tapas
TRADITION & MEANING
Traditions & Interpretations
This epic wife bears the name Jaratkaru. Identifications with the goddess Manasa belong to particular later traditions rather than automatically replacing the wife's identity in this account.
The marriage has consequences after the father leaves. Astika eventually stops the sacrifice, fulfilling the purpose for which his mother's family arranged the union and carrying forward his father's line.
From the Sacred Texts
Explore the sacred texts behind these stories in the Suvarnaveda library.
Artwork & Archive Notes
Objects & Emblems
No named weapon or artifact is specified in this profile’s reference record. This does not establish that the figure never used one.
Visual Identity
Where artwork is shown, it is a contemporary illustrative interpretation. This reference record does not establish a fixed portrait, colour scheme, or complete set of iconographic attributes for this figure.
Tradition Note
The accounts belong to Mahabharata / Puranic. Genealogy, theological interpretation, and portrayal can differ between texts and regional retellings.
FOLLOW THE THREADS
Connected Cards
6 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.
Characters & Cosmic Entities4
Jaratkaru Rishi is Astika’s father.
The ascetic husband in the Devi Bhagavata narrative.
Vasuki gives his sister Jaratkaru in marriage.
Manasa marries the sage Jaratkaru in this telling.
