Shloka 2

शृङ्गिशापः—तक्षककाश्यपसंवादः (Śṛṅgī’s Curse and the Takṣaka–Kāśyapa Dialogue)

Devanagari script

जरत्कारुर्वाच मम पूर्वे भवन्तो वै पितर: सपितामहा: । तद्‌ ब्रूत यन्मया कार्य भवतां प्रियकाम्यया,जरत्कारुने कहा--आप मेरे ही पूर्वज पिता और पितामह आदि हैं। अतः बताइये आपका प्रिय करनेके लिये मुझे क्या करना चाहिये। मैं ही आपलोगोंका पुत्र पापी जरत्कारु हूँ। आप मुझ अकृतात्मा पापीको इच्छानुसार दण्ड दें

Transliteration

Jaratkārur uvāca: mama pūrve bhavanto vai pitaraḥ sapitāmahāḥ | tad brūta yan mayā kāryaṃ bhavatāṃ priyakāmyayā | ahaṃ hi yuṣmākaṃ putraḥ pāpī Jaratkāruḥ | māṃ akṛtātmānaṃ pāpiṣṭhaṃ yathā-icchaṃ daṇḍayata ||

Translation

Jaratkāru dit : «Vous êtes bien mes ancêtres, mes pères et mes aïeux. Dites-moi donc ce que je dois faire, désireux d’œuvrer pour votre bien et votre satisfaction. Je suis votre fils, Jaratkāru, souillé de faute ; châtiez-moi comme il vous plaira, car je manque de discipline accomplie et je suis digne de blâme.»

Word by Word

• {'jaratkāruḥ uvāca': 'Jaratkāru said', 'mama pūrve': 'my predecessors/ancestors', 'bhavantaḥ': 'you (honorific plural)', 'pitaraḥ': 'fathers

• ancestors', 'sapitāmahāḥ': 'together with grandfathers/forefathers', 'tad brūta': 'therefore tell (me)', 'yat ... kāryam': 'what is to be done', 'mayā': 'by me', 'bhavatām': 'for you (genitive plural, honorific)', 'priyakāmyayā': 'with the desire to do what is pleasing/beneficial', 'putraḥ': 'son', 'pāpī': 'sinful

• tainted', 'akṛtātmā': 'one of unaccomplished self-discipline

• not self-mastered', 'yathā-iccham': 'as you wish', 'daṇḍayata': 'punish (imperative, plural)'}

Speaker

तक्षक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jaratkāru
• pitaraḥ (ancestors)
• pitāmahāḥ (grandfathers/forefathers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes responsibility toward one’s lineage: acknowledging the claims of the ancestors (pitṛ-ṛṇa, the ‘debt to the forefathers’) and submitting oneself to correction. Ethical action is framed as doing what benefits and pleases those to whom one is indebted, coupled with humility and willingness to accept consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jaratkāru addresses his forefathers, recognizing them as his ancestors and asking what he must do to secure their welfare. He confesses his own fault and invites punishment, signaling readiness to follow their instruction—an important setup for the duty he must undertake to continue the lineage.