Shloka 7
Brāhmaṇa-māhātmya: Tārkṣya’s instruction on tapas, satya, and svadharma
Chapter 182
एवमेतद् भवेद् राजन् कायपिक्षमनन्तरम् | यदभिप्रेतमन्यत् ते ब्रूहि यावद् ब्रवीम्यहम्,राजन! इस प्रकार इनके गौरव-लाघवका निश्चय कार्यकी अपेक्षासे ही होता है। अब और जो कुछ भी प्रश्न तुम्हें अभीष्ट हो, वह पूछो । मैं यथासाध्य उत्तर देता हूँ
evam etad bhaved rājan kāryāpekṣam anantaram | yad abhipretam anyat te brūhi yāvad bravīmy aham ||
“So it is, O King: the assessment of what is weighty or light depends directly upon the demands of the situation and the work to be done. Now, if there is anything else you wish to know, ask it; I will speak as far as I am able.”
सर्प उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches contextual ethical discernment: the ‘heaviness’ (importance/seriousness) or ‘lightness’ (lesser weight) of an action is determined with reference to the concrete duty or task at hand (kāryāpekṣā), not by abstract labels alone.
The serpent, addressing a king, confirms a principle about evaluating actions according to practical necessity and then invites the king to ask further questions, promising to answer to the best of his ability.