Shloka 5
Karma, Preta-gati, and the Continuity of Phala
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Instruction
युधिछिर उवाच मुच्यतामयमायुष्मन् भ्राता मेडमितविक्रम: । वयमाहारमन्यं ते दास्याम: क्षुज्ञिवारणम्,तब युधिष्ठटिरने सर्पसे कहा--आयुष्मन्! आप मेरे इस अनन्त पराक्रमी भाईको छोड़ दें। हमलोग आपकी भूख मिटानेके लिये दूसरा भोजन देंगे
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | mucyatām ayam āyuṣman bhrātā me dīptavikramaḥ | vayam āhāram anyaṃ te dāsyāmaḥ kṣudhnivāraṇam ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O venerable one, release this brother of mine, whose prowess is blazing. We shall give you other food, enough to remove your hunger.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
In a moment of danger, Yudhiṣṭhira responds with restraint and compassion, seeking a non-violent resolution: he asks for his brother’s release and offers an alternative to satisfy the other party’s need. The ethical thrust is to protect life and kin without escalating harm, using negotiation and generosity.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a powerful being (in this episode, a serpent) who has seized his brother. He respectfully requests the brother’s release and proposes giving other food to appease the captor’s hunger, attempting to secure freedom through an exchange rather than force.