Shloka 6

आदि पर्व — अध्याय 39: तक्षक–काश्यप संवादः, न्यग्रोधसंजीवनम्, पारिक्षितोपायः

Devanagari script

अस्यैतन्मानसं शल्यं समुद्धर्तु त्वमरहसि । जनन्या: शापजं देव ज्ञातीनां हितमिच्छत:,“देव! अपने भाई-बन्धुओंका हित चाहनेवाले इन नागराजके हृदयमें माताका शाप काँटा बनकर चुभा हुआ है और कसक पैदा करता है। आप इनके उस काँटेको निकाल दीजिये

Transliteration

asyaitanmānasaṁ śalyaṁ samuddhartu tvam arhasi | jananyāḥ śāpajaṁ deva jñātīnāṁ hitam icchataḥ ||

Translation

Elāpatra said: “O divine one, you are able to draw out this thorn lodged in his heart and mind—born of his mother’s curse. Since this lord of serpents seeks the welfare of his kinsmen, remove that painful barb that torments him.”

Word by Word

अस्यof this (one)

एतत्this

मानसम्mental, in the mind

शल्यम्thorn; painful dart

समुद्धर्तुम्to extract, to pull out

त्वम्you

अरहसिare able/fit; ought

जनन्याःof the mother

शापजम्born of a curse; curse-caused

देवO god/lord

ज्ञातीनाम्of kinsmen/relatives

हितम्welfare, good

इच्छतःof (one) desiring

Speaker

एलापत्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Elāpatra

a deva (addressed divine being)

the Nāgarāja (serpent-king; implied referent)

mother (jananī)

kinsmen/relatives (jñāti)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A curse can become an inner ‘thorn’ that disturbs the mind; ethical concern for one’s kin and the willingness to seek remedy (rather than revenge) is presented as a worthy motive, inviting compassionate, restorative action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Elāpatra appeals to a divine being to remove the painful mental affliction in the serpent-king—an anguish caused by his mother’s curse—emphasizing that the serpent-king seeks the welfare of his relatives.