Jaratkaru leaves his wife

Saunaka then asked Sauti about Jaratkaru, his wife and what happened to them.

Sauti continued.

One day Vasuki called his sister and wanted to know how Jaratkaru was treating her. She said her husband was roaming around the forests leaving her at home.
Vasuki sent for Jaratkaru and asked him why he was behaving thus. Jaratkaru said he never wanted to get married in the first place, but was compelled to , by his ancestors.
Even though he was now married, he had no interest in the life of a house holder. He said he would live with his wife. If, for some reason his wife said something he did not like, he would leave her forever.

In time, Jaratkari became heavy with child. One day, Jaratkaru was sleeping at home. It was daytime. Soon the sun set but the sage kept sleeping. Jaratkari knew this was an inauspicious time for sleeping. She woke up her husband who got up in anger and said he was leaving for ever.

Before leaving he told her, the son who would be born, would be the one who deliver the nagas from their destruction.

Jaratkaru

Jaratkaru was a sage engaged in sever penances. Lost in meditation, he would roam around the forests, unclothed.
One day he saw a huge pit in the forest. A root of a tree was covering the pit, and from the root were hanging some sages.
Jaratkaru asked them who they were and why they hanging like this. He also told them that a forest rat was slowly gnawing at the root and after sometime the root would break, and all would fall in the pit.

The sages said they were his ancestors. They would be relieved if Jaratkaru married and had a family. Only then they would salvation. They asked Jatarkaru to get married and then have a son who would be able to carry the line forward.

Jatarkaru said he had forsaken everything and was roaming around, naked. Who would agree to marry such a person.

He started roaming everywhere, this time in search of a wife. In the meantime, the spies of Vasuki, the serpent, told him that Jaratkaru was looking for a wife. Vasuki went to Jaratkaru and asked to marry his sister. His sister was called Jaratkri. Vasuki gave away his sister to Jaratkaru.