Shloka 26

Devanagari script

आस्तीकस्य वच: श्रुत्वा यः सर्पो न निवर्तते । शतधा भियद्यते मूर्थ्नि शिंशवृक्षफलं यथा,“जो सर्प आस्तीकके वचनकी शपथ सुनकर भी नहीं लौटेगा, उसके फनके शीशमके फलके समान सैकड़ों टुकड़े हो जायँगे”

Transliteration

āstīkasya vacaḥ śrutvā yaḥ sarpo na nivartate | śatadhā bhidyate mūrdhni śiṃśavṛkṣaphalaṃ yathā ||

Translation

Āstīka said: “Any serpent who, even after hearing my sworn words, does not turn back will have his hooded head split into a hundred pieces—like the fruit of the śiṃśapā tree.”

Word by Word

आस्तीकस्यof Āstīka

वचःspeech/words

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

यःwho/which

सर्पःsnake

नnot

निवर्ततेturns back/returns

शतधाinto a hundred parts; a hundredfold

भिद्यतेis split/broken

मूर्ध्निon the head (i.e., on the hood/head)

शिंशवृक्षफलम्the fruit of the śiṃśa tree

यथाas/like

Speaker

आस्तीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Āstīka

serpent (sarpa)

śiṃśa/śiṃśapā tree fruit (śiṃśavṛkṣaphala)

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 righteous, truth-bound utterance (vāc) carries moral force: when a dharmic command is given and heard, willful refusal to heed it leads to self-destruction. The verse underscores accountability to solemn speech and the ethical necessity of restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the serpent-sacrifice context, Āstīka issues a stern warning to the serpents: if any serpent does not turn back after hearing his sworn words, it will suffer a catastrophic fate—its head splitting like a śiṃśapā fruit—thereby compelling obedience and halting further harm.