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ASTIKA: The son of the Maharsi Jaratkaru and his wife, also named Jaratkaru. He stopped King Janamejaya's Sarpasatra and saved the nagas.

ASTIKA: The son of the Maharsi Jaratkaru and his wife, also named Jaratkaru. He stopped King Janamejaya's Sarpasatra and saved the nagas.

There is a story about Astika's birth in the Devi Bhagavata. Long ago the people of the world were so much troubled by the serpents, that they sought protection from Kasyapa Prajapati. To find a remedy for this, Kasyapa discussed the matter with Brahma. To put an end to the troubles from the serpents, Brahma suggested that a number of mantras and a deity as the basis of those mantras should be created. Accordingly Kasyapa created many mantras and Manasa Devi as the basic deity of those mantras. She is named "Manasadevi" because Kasyapa created her by his mental power. Manasadevi has eleven other names also, namely Jaratkaru, Jagatgauri, Siddhayogini, Vaisnavi, Nagabhagini, Saivi, NagesVari, Jaratkarupriya, Astikamata, Visahara and Mahajnanayuta. Manasadevi (Jaratkaru) when quite young, went to Kailasa for doing tapas (penance) . There she did tapas to Siva for a thousand years. At last Siva appeared and blessed her with divine wisdom. She returned with great learning and devotion. (Devi Bhagavata, Navama Skandha) . At that time, a Muni (saga) named Jaratkaru, when travelling through the forest happened to see his pitrs(souls of forefathers) hanging over a precipice at the end of a blade of grass. They were hanging precariously at the end of a reed grass, head downwards, about to fall into the abyss. Jaratkaru enquired why they were lying in that condition. They explained that they were in that plight because their descendant Jaratkaru had no children. As he is a bachelor there is no hope either, of his having any issue. Since he has no children, we will not get to heaven, they added. To save the Pitrs from their predicament, Jaratkaru decided to marry. But he wished to marry a woman who had the same name as his. Once Vasuki met Jaratkaru and told him that he had a sister named Jaratkaru and that he would be very happy if Jaratkaru married her. Jaratkaru accepted the offer readily and married Jaratkaru. After their marriage, while they were living together in a place called Puskara tirtha, an unexpected event happened which interrupted the happy course of their life. One evening, the husband was sleeping with his head in the wife's lap, under a tree. The sun was about to set. As the Maharsi did not wake up before sunset, the wife became anxious. It is believed that he who does not wake up before sunrise and he who does not offer prayers at dusk will be guilty of the papa (पापम्) of Brahmahatya (killing a Brahmin) . Nor was it proper to wake him up from a sound sleep. But in the end, she did wake him up. The husband sprang up in great fury. He renounced the wife then and there. Weeping bitterly, she begged for his forgiveness. At last Jaratkaru relented and told her : "You will have a very noble, brilliant, renowned, virtuous, scholarly and devout son who will be a devotee of Visnu and a preserver of the family". After this Manasadevi set out to Kailasa. When she reached there Parami-Siva and Parvati comforted her. ManasadevI was pregnant. The precepts and spiritual advice given by Jaratkaru, Parama-Siva and Parvati were heard by the child in the womb and so even before his birth he became a Jnani and a yogi. In due course Manasadevi gave birth to a son who was a part of Narayana (Visnu). Since he was the son of Manasadevi who had deep devotion to the Guru and to the Gods, the boy was named Astika. The Mahabharata, Adi Parva, gives another reason for giving this name to the boy. When the sage Jaratkaru abandoned his wife, he had blessed her saying that the child in her womb would be a brilliant and devoted son. That is why this boy came to be called Astika.

There is a story about Astika's birth in the Devi Bhagavata. Long ago the people of the world were so much troubled by the serpents, that they sought protection from Kasyapa Prajapati. To find a remedy for this, Kasyapa discussed the matter with Brahma. To put an end to the troubles from the serpents, Brahma suggested that a number of mantras and a deity as the basis of those mantras should be created. Accordingly Kasyapa created many mantras and Manasa Devi as the basic deity of those mantras. She is named "Manasadevi" because Kasyapa created her by his mental power. Manasadevi has eleven other names also, namely Jaratkaru, Jagatgauri, Siddhayogini, Vaisnavi, Nagabhagini, Saivi, NagesVari, Jaratkarupriya, Astikamata, Visahara and Mahajnanayuta. Manasadevi (Jaratkaru) when quite young, went to Kailasa for doing tapas (penance) . There she did tapas to Siva for a thousand years. At last Siva appeared and blessed her with divine wisdom. She returned with great learning and devotion. (Devi Bhagavata, Navama Skandha) . At that time, a Muni (saga) named Jaratkaru, when travelling through the forest happened to see his pitrs(souls of forefathers) hanging over a precipice at the end of a blade of grass. They were hanging precariously at the end of a reed grass, head downwards, about to fall into the abyss. Jaratkaru enquired why they were lying in that condition. They explained that they were in that plight because their descendant Jaratkaru had no children. As he is a bachelor there is no hope either, of his having any issue. Since he has no children, we will not get to heaven, they added. To save the Pitrs from their predicament, Jaratkaru decided to marry. But he wished to marry a woman who had the same name as his. Once Vasuki met Jaratkaru and told him that he had a sister named Jaratkaru and that he would be very happy if Jaratkaru married her. Jaratkaru accepted the offer readily and married Jaratkaru. After their marriage, while they were living together in a place called Puskara tirtha, an unexpected event happened which interrupted the happy course of their life. One evening, the husband was sleeping with his head in the wife's lap, under a tree. The sun was about to set. As the Maharsi did not wake up before sunset, the wife became anxious. It is believed that he who does not wake up before sunrise and he who does not offer prayers at dusk will be guilty of the papa (पापम्) of Brahmahatya (killing a Brahmin) . Nor was it proper to wake him up from a sound sleep. But in the end, she did wake him up. The husband sprang up in great fury. He renounced the wife then and there. Weeping bitterly, she begged for his forgiveness. At last Jaratkaru relented and told her : "You will have a very noble, brilliant, renowned, virtuous, scholarly and devout son who will be a devotee of Visnu and a preserver of the family". After this Manasadevi set out to Kailasa. When she reached there Parami-Siva and Parvati comforted her. ManasadevI was pregnant. The precepts and adhyatmik advice given by Jaratkaru, Parama-Siva and Parvati were heard by the child in the womb and so even before his birth he became a Jnani and a yogi. In due course Manasadevi gave birth to a son who was a part of Narayana (Visnu). Since he was the son of Manasadevi who had deep devotion to the Guru and to the Gods, the boy was named Astika. The Mahabharata, Adi Parva, gives another reason for giving this name to the boy. When the sage Jaratkaru abandoned his wife, he had blessed her saying that the child in her womb would be a brilliant and devoted son. That is why this boy came to be called Astika.

Astika was taught Veda, Vedangas etc. by Parama-Siva himself. After receiving the blessings of Parama-Siva, Astika went to Puskara tirtha and did tapas to Visnu for many years. Having received Visnu's

Astika was taught Veda, Vedangas etc. by Parama-Siva himself. After receiving the blessings of Parama-Siva, Astika went to Puskara tirtha and did tapas to Visnu for many years. Having received Visnu's