Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1408

c4.1408

At that time, a Muni (sage) named Jaratkāru, when travelling through the forest happened to see his pitṛs (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. Jaratkāru enquired why they were lying in that condition. They explained that they were in that plight because their descendant Jaratkāru 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 Pitṛs from their predicament, Jaratkāru decided to marry. But he wished to marry a woman who had the same name as his. Once Vāsuki met Jaratkāru and told him that he had a sister named Jaratkāru and that he would be very happy if Jaratkāru married her. Jaratkāru accepted the offer readily and married Jaratkāru.