Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

अहमेव जरत्कारु: किल्बिषी भवतां सुतः । ते दण्डं धारयत मे दुष्कृतेरकृतात्मन:,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

ahameva jaratkāruḥ kilbiṣī bhavatāṃ sutaḥ | te daṇḍaṃ dhārayata me duṣkṛter akṛtātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Takṣaka dit : «Je suis bien Jaratkāru, votre fils pécheur. Pour la faute que j’ai commise, moi dont l’âme n’est pas maîtrisée, vous pouvez m’inposer le châtiment que vous jugerez bon.»

Word by Word

अहम्I

एवindeed/only

जरत्कारुःJaratkāru (name)

किलindeed/it is said

किल्बिषीsinful

भवताम्of you (honorific plural)

सुतःson

तेyou (those)

दण्डम्punishment

धारयतimpose/inflict (you all)

मेon me / of me

दुष्कृतेःfrom/for (my) wrongdoing

अकृतात्मनःof (me) the undisciplined/one without self-control

Speaker

तक्षक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Takṣaka

Jaratkāru

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds moral accountability: one who recognizes his own wrongdoing (duṣkṛti) and lack of self-mastery (akṛtātman) accepts the legitimacy of daṇḍa (disciplinary punishment) as a dharmic corrective rather than mere retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Takṣaka speaks in a tone of confession and submission, identifying himself as Jaratkāru and acknowledging guilt. He addresses elders/others respectfully (“bhavatām”) and invites them to impose whatever punishment they judge appropriate for his misdeed.