Shloka 24
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 47 — Janamejaya’s Sarpa-satra: Vow, Preparation, and the Onset of the Serpent Offering
भार्य॑ प्रस्फुरमाणौष्ठ इदं वचनमत्रवीत् । अवमान: प्रयुक्तो5यं त्वया मम भुजड़मे,नागकन्याके ऐसा कहनेपर महातपस्वी भगवान् जरत्कारु जाग उठे। उस समय क्रोधके मारे उनके होठ काँपने लगे। वे इस प्रकार बोले--“नागकन्ये! तूने मेरा यह अपमान किया है
bhāryā prasphuramāṇauṣṭha idaṁ vacanam abravīt | avamānaḥ prayukto 'yaṁ tvayā mama bhujaṅgame nāgakanyake ||
His wife, her lips trembling, spoke these words: “O Nāga maiden, you have aimed this insult at my husband—the Nāga.” The line underscores how a slight (avamāna) is treated as a moral injury, provoking anger and setting in motion consequences that will ripple through the serpent–sage narrative.
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of speech: an insult (avamāna) is not treated as a trivial remark but as a moral offense that can ignite anger and trigger far-reaching consequences. It implicitly warns that contemptuous words can destabilize relationships and dharmic order.
A woman, visibly agitated (trembling lips), addresses a serpent-maiden and accuses her of having insulted her husband, the serpent. The scene marks a flashpoint where perceived dishonour becomes the immediate cause for escalation in the surrounding Nāga-related storyline.