Shloka 3
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 47 — Janamejaya’s Sarpa-satra: Vow, Preparation, and the Onset of the Serpent Offering
ऋषिरुवाच न भरिष्येडहमेतां वै एब मे समय: कृत: । अप्रियं च न कर्तव्यं कृते चैनां त्यजाम्यहम्,ऋषिने कहा--नागराज! मैं इसका भरण-पोषण नहीं करूँगा, मेरी यह शर्त तो तय हो गयी। अब दूसरी शर्त यह है कि तुम्हारी इस बहिनको कभी ऐसा कार्य नहीं करना चाहिये, जो मुझे अप्रिय लगे। यदि अप्रिय कार्य कर बैठेगी तो उसी समय मैं इसे त्याग दूँगा
ṛṣir uvāca — na bhariṣyed aham etāṃ vai; eṣa me samayaḥ kṛtaḥ | apriyaṃ ca na kartavyaṃ; kṛte caināṃ tyajāmy aham ||
The sage said: “I will not undertake the maintenance of her; this condition of mine has already been settled. And further, she must never do anything that displeases me. If she commits an act that is displeasing, then at that very moment I will abandon her.”
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the binding force of a samaya (stipulated agreement) and the ethical demand to avoid actions that cause justified displeasure within a relationship; violating agreed boundaries is presented as grounds for immediate separation.
A sage states the terms under which he will accept the arrangement involving the serpent-king’s sister: he will not take on her upkeep, and she must never act in a way that displeases him; if she does, he will abandon her at once.