Shloka 15

स्त्रीस्वभावप्रश्नः — Nārada and Pañcacūḍā on Strī-svabhāva

Anuśāsana-parva 38

Devanagari script

सर्पस्पर्शसमा: केचित्‌ तथान्ये मकरस्पृश: । विभाष्यघातिन: केचित्‌ तथा चक्षुर्हणो5परे

Transliteration

sarpa-sparśa-samāḥ kecit tathānye makara-spṛśaḥ | vibhāṣya-ghātinaḥ kecit tathā cakṣur-haṇo 'pare ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : « Certains êtres sont, au toucher, pareils aux serpents, tandis que d’autres, au contact, sont comme des crocodiles. Les uns détruisent en proférant une malédiction, et les autres réduisent en cendres par un seul regard courroucé. »

Word by Word

• सर्पस्पर्शसमाः: equal to the touch of a serpent
• सर्पस्पर्शसमाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्पस्पर्शसम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क- (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: so; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मकरस्पृशः: having touch like a makara (crocodile/sea-monster)
• मकरस्पृशः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मकरस्पृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विभाष्यघातिनः: killing after uttering a curse/speech
• विभाष्यघातिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभाष्यघातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क- (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• चक्षुर्हणः: slaying with the eye (by a look)
• चक्षुर्हणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चक्षुर्हण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• serpent (sarpa)
• makara (crocodile-like creature)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that some individuals possess destructive power through mere contact, speech (especially curse-like utterance), or even an angry look—implying the ethical need for restraint, careful association, and control of anger and speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing different kinds of dangerous persons/beings: some harm like a serpent’s touch, others like a crocodile’s grip; some kill through spoken words (curses), and others through a wrathful glance, emphasizing the varied forms of harm.