Shloka 36
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
तस्यायं वचनाद्ू दष्टो न कोपेन न काम्यया । तस्य तत्किल्बिषं लुब्ध विद्यते यदि किल्बिषम्
tasyāyaṃ vacanād daṣṭo na kopena na kāmyayā | tasya tat kilbiṣaṃ lubdha vidyate yadi kilbiṣam ||
“Atas ucapannya semata aku menggigit anak ini—bukan karena marah, bukan pula karena nafsu. Jika ada kesalahan dalam hal ini, wahai pemburu, itu bukan milikku; cela itu, jika memang ada, milik Maut (takdir).”
सर्प उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse raises the ethical problem of agency and culpability: the serpent claims it acted only as an instrument responding to another’s word, denying personal motives like anger or desire, and shifting moral responsibility to Death/fate. It invites reflection on whether being an ‘instrument’ removes blame, or whether action still carries accountability.
In a dialogue, the serpent addresses a hunter and explains why it bit a boy. It insists the act was not driven by personal emotion or craving, and argues that if any wrongdoing is involved, it should be attributed to Death (the destined end) rather than to the serpent itself.