SanskritIASTMeaning
जरत्कारुः इति यत् त्वया प्रोक्तं तस्य ऋषेः श्रोतुम् इच्छामिjaratkāruḥ iti yat tvayā proktaṃ tasya ṛṣeḥ śrotum icchāmiI wish to hear about the sage, great of soul, named Jaratkaru
किं कारणं नाम एतत् प्रथितम् जरत्कारु-निरुक्तं वक्तुम् अर्हसिkiṃ kāraṇaṃ nāma etat prathitam jaratkāru-niruktaṃ vaktum arhasifor what reason [is] this name renowned on earth; please explain properly the meaning of "Jaratkaru"
जरा क्षयम् आहुः कारु दारुणं शरीरंjarā kṣayam āhuḥ kāru dāruṇaṃ śarīraṃ"jara" means wasting away, "karu" means [something] huge — the body
शरीरं कारु तस्य आसीत् तत् शनैः तपसा क्षपयाम् आसśarīraṃ kāru tasya āsīt tat śanaiḥ tapasā kṣapayām āsahis body was huge; he, the wise one, gradually wore it away through austerity
अत जरत्कारुः इति उच्यते वासुकेः भगिनी तथाata jaratkāruḥ iti ucyate vāsukeḥ bhaginī tathāhence he is called Jaratkaru, O brahmin; so too is Vasuki's sister
शौनकः प्राहसत् उपपन्नम् इतिśaunakaḥ prāhasat upapannam itiShaunaka laughed: [the name is] fitting
शौनकśaunakaoriginal form "śaunaka", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जरत्कारुर्jaratkāruroriginal form "jaratkārur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतनन्दनsūtanandanaoriginal form "sūtanandana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इच्छाम्य्icchāmyoriginal form "icchāmy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एतद्etadoriginal form "etad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अहंahaṃoriginal form "ahaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रोतुंśrotuṃoriginal form "śrotuṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महात्मनःmahātmanaḥoriginal form "mahātmanaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जरत्कारोर्jaratkārororiginal form "jaratkāror", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नामैतत्nāmaitatoriginal form "nāmaitat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रथितंprathitaṃoriginal form "prathitaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भुविbhuvioriginal form "bhuvi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जरत्कारुनिरुक्तंjaratkāruniruktaṃoriginal form "jaratkāruniruktaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वंtvaṃoriginal form "tvaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथावद्yathāvadoriginal form "yathāvad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतsūtaoriginal form "sūta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जरेतिjaretioriginal form "jareti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आहुर्āhuroriginal form "āhur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कारुसंज्ञितम्kārusaṃjñitamoriginal form "kārusaṃjñitam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्यासीत्tasyāsītoriginal form "tasyāsīt", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धीमाञ्dhīmāñoriginal form "dhīmāñ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शनैःśanaiḥoriginal form "śanaiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तीव्रेणtīvreṇaoriginal form "tīvreṇa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तपसेत्य्tapasetyoriginal form "tapasety", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जरत्कारुर्jaratkāruroriginal form "jaratkārur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्रह्मन्brahmanoriginal form "brahman", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वासुकेर्vāsukeroriginal form "vāsuker", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवम्evamoriginal form "evam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उक्तस्uktasoriginal form "uktas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मात्माdharmātmāoriginal form "dharmātmā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उग्रश्रवसम्ugraśravasamoriginal form "ugraśravasam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आमन्त्र्यāmantryaoriginal form "āmantrya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्रुवन्bruvanoriginal form "bruvan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
This small chapter on the etymology of a name carries its own lesson. The name "Jaratkaru" — "he who wore away a huge body" — is itself testimony to austerity: the sage, through severe tapas, wasted and thinned his mighty frame. Scripture thus displays the ideal of asceticism: the voluntary wasting of the flesh for the sake of spiritual ascent. Here it becomes clear that the body is not the goal but the instrument; the ascetic does not pamper it but subjects it to the spirit, thinning out attachment to the bodily. A name that preserves the memory of austerity is a reminder: in Vedic culture, naming itself often reflects a person's essence and deed, rather than being arbitrary. And that Shaunaka finds the name "fitting" underscores that in sacred tradition nothing is accidental — even a name corresponds to the destiny and the striving of its bearer.