Shloka 58
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
सर्प! यह सब जानकर भी तुम मुझे कैसे दोषी मानते हो? और यदि ऐसी स्थितिमें भी मुझपर दोषारोपण हो सकता है, तब तो तू भी दोषी ही है ।।
sarpa uvāca | nirdoṣaṁ doṣavantaṁ vā na tvāṁ mṛtyo bravīmy aham | tvayāhaṁ codita iti bravīmy etāvad eva tu ||
“¡Serpiente! Sabiendo todo esto, ¿cómo puedes tenerme por culpable? Y si aun en tal situación puede imputárseme falta, entonces tú también eres culpable.” La serpiente dijo: “Oh Muerte, no te declaro ni inocente ni culpable. Sólo afirmo esto: fuiste tú quien me impulsó a morder a este niño.”
सर्प उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a nuanced view of moral responsibility: blame may not rest solely on the immediate doer (the serpent) if the act was prompted by another (Death). It raises the ethical issue of instigation and shared accountability.
In a dialogue with personified Death (Mṛtyu), the serpent responds to the question of fault for a boy’s death. The serpent refuses to label Death as innocent or guilty, but asserts that Death urged him to bite the boy.