Shloka 41
Kubera’s Arrival and the Disclosure of Agastya’s Curse
Vaiśaṃpāyana–Janamejaya Narrative
आस्था तु त्वयि मे नास्ति यतोडसि न हतस्तदा । ब्रह्मरूपप्रतिच्छन्नो न नो वदसि चाप्रियम्,“तुझपर मेरा विश्वास नहीं रह गया था, तो भी तू ब्राह्मणके रूपमें अपने असली स्वरूपको छिपाये हुए था और हमलोगोंसे कोई अप्रिय बात नहीं कहता था। इसीलिये मैंने तुम्हें तत्काल नहीं मार डाला
āsthā tu tvayi me nāsti yato ’ḍasi na hatas tadā | brahmarūpapraticchanno na no vadasi cāpriyam ||
„Ich vertraute dir nicht mehr; und doch, als du (mich) bissest, tötete ich dich damals nicht. Denn du verbargst dein wahres Wesen unter der Maske eines Brāhmaṇa und sprachst zu uns nichts Hartes oder Beleidigendes. Darum schlug ich dich nicht sogleich nieder.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when trust is broken and harm is received, restraint is upheld when the other maintains the protective norms of dharma—here symbolized by a brāhmaṇa guise and the avoidance of harsh speech. The verse highlights ethical self-control and the moral weight of words and social roles.
The speaker explains why he did not kill the other immediately despite being bitten: the offender was hiding his real identity under a brāhmaṇa appearance and did not utter anything offensive toward them, which stayed the speaker’s hand.