It seemed that some soldiers had brought him there, and just left. An old woman, who had followed them, stayed on, fallen at his feet, holding his leg and weeping.
Jīmūtavāhana walked towards another rock closer to where they were, and hid behind it. He was curious to know what the matter was, and he felt intense grief as the old lady kept crying loudly.
हा शङ्खचूड हा दुःखशतसंप्राप्त हा गुणिन् ।
कुलैकतन्तो हा पुत्र क्व त्वां द्रक्ष्याम्य् अहं पुनः ॥ १२,२३.१२० ॥
वत्स त्वन्मुखचन्द्रे ऽस्मिन् गते ऽस्तं स पिता तव ।
सोकान्धकारपतितः कथं वृद्धो भविष्यति ॥ १२,२३.१२१ ॥
अथार्ककरसंस्पर्शाद् अङ्गं दूयेत यत् तव ।
कथं शक्ष्यति तत् सोढुं तार्क्ष्यभक्षणजां रुजम् ॥ १२,२३.१२२ ॥
विस्तीर्णे नागलोके ऽपि धात्रा नागाधिपेन च ।
लब्धस् त्वं किम् अभव्याया विचित्यैकसुतो मम ॥ १२,२३.१२३ ॥
इति तां विलपन्तीं च स युवा तनयो ऽब्रवीत् ।
दुःखार्तम् अपि माम् अम्ब किं दुःखयसि हा भृशम् ॥ १२,२३.१२४ ॥
निवर्तस्व गृहान् एष प्रणामः पश्चिमस् तव ।
इहागमनवेला हि भवेज् जातु गरुत्मतः ॥ १२,२३.१२५ ॥
तच् छ्रुत्वा हा हतास्मीह को मे पास्यति पुत्रकम् ।
इत चक्रन्द सा वृद्धा दिक्षु क्षिप्तार्तलोचना ॥ १२,२३.१२६ ॥
“My dearest Śaṅkhacūḍa, my son, you were born to me after a hundred prayers! Oh my virtuous son! You are the only son I have left, when will I see you again!”
“When your moon-like face sets, your father will fall into the darkness of grief, and how will he be able to live peacefully again??”
“My son, even the slightest rays of the sun hurt you, how will you be able to bear the agony of being killed and eaten by Garuḍa?”
“In such a large population of Nagas, what ill-fate of mine that the king found you to be sacrificed today! What will they all get out of killing you!”
As she lamented, the young man said to her…
“Mother, I am already in distress. Why do you make me sadder? Please return home. I seek your blessings for the last time now. Please hurry, since it is time for Garuḍa to arrive.”
When the old woman heard this, she wailed louder, beating her chest and crying out loud “I am ruined! Is there no one who will save my only son??”
तावच् च बोधिसत्त्वांशः स तज् जीमूतवाहनः ।
श्रुत्वा दृष्ट्वा च कृपया गाढाक्रान्तो व्यचिन्तयत् ॥ १२,२३.१२७ ॥
हन्तायं शङ्खचूडाख्यो नागो वासुकिना बत ।
आहारहेतोस् तार्क्ष्यस्य तपस्वी प्रेषितो ऽधुना ॥ १२,२३.१२८ ॥
इयं चैतस्य जननी स्नेहेनेहान्वग् आगता ।
एतदेकसुता वृद्धा दुःखदीनप्रलापिनी ॥ १२,२३.१२९ ॥
तद् एनम् एकम् आर्तं चेद् देहेनैकान्तनाशिना ।
रक्षामि नामुना नागं तन् मे धिग् जन्म निःफलम् ॥ १२,२३.१३० ॥
इत्य् आलोच्योपगम्यैव मुदा जीमूतवाहनः ।
वृद्धाम् उवाच तां मातः पुत्रं रक्षाम्य् अहं तव ॥ १२,२३.१३१ ॥
तच् छ्रुत्वा भावितभया वृद्धा गरुडशङ्खिनी ।
संत्रस्ता तार्क्ष्य मां भुङ्क्ष्व मां भुङ्क्ष्वेति जगाद सा ॥ १२,२३.१३२ ॥
शङ्खचूडस् ततो ऽवादीन् नैषस् तार्क्ष्यो ऽम्ब मा त्रसीः ।
क्वायं चन्द्र इवाह्लादी क्व स तार्क्ष्यो भयंकरः ॥ १२,२३.१३३ ॥
इत्य् उक्ते शङ्खचूडेन प्राह जीमूतवाहनः ।
विद्याधरो ऽहम् आयातो राक्षितुं सुतम् अम्ब ते ॥ १२,२३.१३४ ॥
दास्यामि हि शरीरं स्वं वस्त्रच्छन्नं गरुत्मते ।
क्षुधिताय प्रयाहि त्वम् आदायैनं सुतं गृहम् ॥ १२,२३.१३५ ॥
तच् छ्रुत्वा साब्रवीद् वृद्धा मैवं त्वं ह्य् अधिको मम ।
पुत्रो यस्येदृशे काले कृपास्मास्व् इयम् ईदृशी ॥ १२,२३.१३६ ॥
Jīmūtavāhana heard all this, and is heard filled with pity. He thought to himself…
“Śaṅkhacūḍa has been sent by King Vāsuki, as today’s sacrifice to Garuḍa. And his poor aged mother..she followed her only son and is unable to bear the grief of his imminent separation.”
“If I don’t offer my body in his stead, and save this poor Nāga, my birth would have had no meaning!”
And so he walked up to the mother and son, and looking at the old woman, said to her…
“Oh dear mother, I will save your son.”
The old woman turned around, and was alarmed, and terrified, thinking that he was the Garuḍa, and so she placed herself between Jīmūtavāhana and her son and shouted,
“Eat me Garuḍa! Spare my son, oh Tārakshya (tormentor of the Nāgas), and eat me!”
Śaṅkhacūḍa stopped her.
“Mother, don’t be afraid. This is not Garuḍa. There is no comparison between this being, who fills the heart with love by his very presence, and the Garuḍa, whose presence invokes only fear…”
Jīmūtavāhana continued…
“Mother, I am a Vidyādhara, and I have come here to save your son. I will offer my body to the hungry Garuḍa. You can return home, and take your son with you.”
The old woman wiped her tears and replied…
“No, that is not possible. For you are also my son, since you have shown us so much compassion in such difficult times…”
to be continued…