Shloka 27
Āstīka-stuti at Janamejaya’s Sacrifice (आस्तीकस्तुतिः / यज्ञप्रशंसा)
स एवमुक्तो नागेन काश्यपो द्विपदां वर: | लब्ध्वा वित्त निववृते तक्षकाद् यावदीप्सितम्,तक्षक नागकी यह बात सुनकर मनुष्योंमें श्रेष्ठ काश्यप उससे इच्छानुसार धन लेकर लौट गये
sa evam ukto nāgena kāśyapo dvipadāṁ varaḥ | labdhvā vittaṁ nivavṛte takṣakād yāvad īpsitam ||
Thus addressed by the serpent, Kāśyapa—foremost among men—accepted from Takṣaka as much wealth as he desired, and then turned back. The episode underscores how even a capable protector can be diverted from a righteous purpose when tempted by gain, allowing impending harm to proceed unchecked.
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical warning: material inducement can cause even the capable and learned to abandon a duty that would prevent harm. It frames wealth as a test of dharma—whether one remains steadfast in a righteous intention or is turned aside by desire.
Takṣaka, the serpent, speaks to Kāśyapa and offers him wealth. Kāśyapa accepts as much as he wants and then turns back, withdrawing from whatever intervention he had intended—thereby leaving Takṣaka free to carry out his plan.