Shloka 5
अश्वसेनो5भवत् तत्र तक्षकस्य सुतो बली । स यत्नमकरोतू तीव्रं मोक्षार्थ जातवेदस:,परंतु तक्षकका बलवान पुत्र अश्वसेन वहीं रह गया था। उसने उस आगसे अपनेको छुड़ानेके लिये बड़ा भारी प्रयत्न किया
Vaiśampāyana uvāca |
aśvaseno 'bhavat tatra takṣakasya suto balī |
sa yatnam akarot tīvraṁ mokṣārthaṁ jātavedasaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: There, Aśvasena—the mighty son of Takṣaka—was caught up in the crisis. Struggling for his very survival, he made an intense effort to free himself from Jātavedas, the consuming fire. The episode underscores the instinct to preserve life amid catastrophe and the relentless consequences set in motion by destructive acts.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how destructive actions unleash unavoidable suffering, and how beings—regardless of power—strive desperately to preserve life when faced with annihilation. It invites reflection on restraint and the ethical weight of mass destruction.
During a great conflagration, Aśvasena, the powerful son of the serpent-king Takṣaka, is trapped in the burning and makes a fierce attempt to escape the fire (Jātavedas/Agni).