The ancestors said: "You, a [spiritually] wealthy brahmacarin, who wish to save us here -- but this, O best of brahmins, cannot be averted by austerity. We do have, dear one, the fruit of austerity, O best of speakers; but because of the failure of our line (santana-prakshaya) we are falling into the unclean hell, O brahmin. Hanging here, dear one, no understanding comes to us as to why we do not recognize you, [though you] are renowned in the world for your valor. [Yet] you, [spiritually] wealthy, greatly fortunate, who, approaching out of compassion, grieve for us, wretched and utterly afflicted -- listen to who we are, O twice-born. We are sages called Yayavaras, firm in our vows; fallen here from the world of merit because of the failure of our line, O lord. Our austerity and merit are lost, for we have no thread [of descent]; there is, indeed, now one [descendant-]thread, but he is as good as not existing. An unfortunate kinsman of the unfortunate in our line, renowned as Jaratkaru, versed in the Vedas and the Vedangas, self-controlled, great of soul, of good vows, a great ascetic. Because of him, because of [his] attachment to austerity, we have been cast into calamity; he has neither wife, nor son, nor any kinsman whatever. Therefore we hang in this pit, bereft of consciousness, as though without a protector. Having seen [him], you must tell him of us, [as though we might yet find] a protector. 'That tuft of virana grass you see, [to which] we cling, was the support of our line (kula-stamba), the increaser of our line; and the roots of this grass that you see, O brahmin -- these are our [ancestral] threads, eaten away by time. And [that root] which you see half-eaten -- upon it we all depend; and [he, that] one [descendant] has devoted himself to austerity. The mouse, moreover, that you see -- this is mighty Time (kala); it slowly wears away, tormenting, that unwise one devoted to austerity -- Jaratkaru, greedy for asceticism, [yet] unwise and senseless. His [lone] austerity will not save us, O most righteous one; behold us, our roots cut, fallen, our minds darkened by time, established in hell like sinners. When we fall here together with our former forefathers, then he too, cut off by time, will [likewise] go to hell. Austerity, or sacrifice, or any other great purifying [deed] -- all this, dear one, is not equal to offspring, [such is] the opinion of the righteous. Having seen, dear one, the ascetic Jaratkaru, you must tell him all this, just as you have seen it, in full: that he should take a wife and beget sons. [Thus] you must speak to him, O brahmin, so that we may have a protector.'"