Shloka 1
Jaratkāru-nirukti and Parīkṣit’s forest encounter (जরত्कारुनिरुक्तिः—परिक्षिद्वनप्रसङ्गः)
अपन क्ाता बछ। अकाल षट्त्रिशो5ध्याय: शेषनागकी तपस्या, ब्रह्माजीसे वर-प्राप्ति तथा पृथ्वीको सिरपर धारण करना शौनक उवाच आखू॒याता भुजगास्तात वीर्यवन्तो दुरासदा: । शापं तं तेडभिविज्ञाय कृतवन्तः किमुत्तरम्,शौनकजीने पूछा--तात सूतनन्दन! आपने महापराक्रमी और दुर्धर्ष नागोंका वर्णन किया। अब यह बताइये कि माता कद्रूके उस शापकी बात मालूम हो जानेपर उन्होंने उसके निवारणके लिये आगे चलकर कौन-सा कार्य किया?
Śaunaka uvāca |
Ākhyātā bhujagās tāta vīryavanto durāsadāḥ |
Śāpaṃ taṃ te ’bhivijñāya kṛtavantaḥ kim uttaram ||
Śaunaka said: “O dear son of Sūta, you have described the serpents—mighty in prowess and hard to overcome. Now tell me: after they came to know of that curse, what further step did they take in response?”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral accountability: once a community recognizes the reality of a curse (a consequence of prior actions), the appropriate response is not denial but purposeful effort—seeking a remedy through right action, discipline, and guidance.
Śaunaka, listening to Sauti’s narration, asks what the Nāgas did after learning of the curse upon them—prompting the next episode that explains their subsequent measures (notably the course of action connected with Śeṣa’s austerities and divine boon in this chapter’s theme).