Shloka 117
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
त॑ पौष्य: प्रत्युवाच यस्मात्त्वमप्यदुष्टमन्नं दूषयसि तस्मात्त्वमनपत्यो भविष्यसीति तमुत्तड़क: प्रत्युवाच,तब पौष्यने भी उन्हें शापके बदले शाप देते हुए कहा--'आप शुद्ध अन्नको भी दूषित बता रहे हैं, अतः आप भी संतानहीन हो जायूँगे।” तब उत्तंक राजा पौष्यसे बोले --
taṁ pauṣyaḥ pratyuvāca—yasmāt tvam apy aduṣṭam annaṁ dūṣayasi tasmāt tvam anapatyo bhaviṣyasīti; tam uttankaḥ pratyuvāca.
König Pauṣya erwiderte: „Weil du selbst Speise, die nicht unrein ist, als unrein verdammst, sollst du ohne Nachkommen bleiben.“ Darauf antwortete Uttaṅka ihm.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns against hasty condemnation and uncontrolled speech: even when one feels wronged, retaliatory words (especially curses) intensify conflict and can lead to disproportionate harm, undermining dharma and social well-being.
In the Uttanka episode, King Pauṣya responds to Uttanka’s accusation about impurity of food by issuing a counter-curse: because Uttanka calls even untainted food impure, Pauṣya declares that Uttanka will become childless; Uttanka then prepares to reply.