Shloka 33
आशीविषदिषं तीक्ष्णं ततस्तीक्ष्णतरो द्विज: । ब्रह्माशीविषदग्धस्य नास्ति कश्चिच्चिकित्सक:
āśīviṣa-viṣaṃ tīkṣṇaṃ tatas tīkṣṇataro dvijaḥ | brahmāśīviṣa-dagdhasya nāsti kaś cic cikitsakaḥ ||
Sang Vāyu: “Bisa ular berbisa memang tajam dan mematikan; namun seorang brahmana bisa lebih tajam lagi. Bagi orang yang ‘terbakar’ oleh ular berbisa bernama brahmana—tertimpa kutuk atau luka rohani—tiada tabib di dunia ini yang sanggup menyembuhkannya.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that spiritual authority and speech, especially when wielded by a brahmin endowed with tapas and learning, can cause harm more irreversible than physical poison. It urges restraint, humility, and careful conduct toward those whose words carry moral and spiritual force, emphasizing that some injuries—like those from a curse or grievous offense—may not admit an easy ‘cure.’
Vāyudeva is speaking and uses a striking comparison: snake-venom is deadly, but the ‘serpent-like’ power of a brahmin is deadlier still. The statement functions as a moral admonition within the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic discourse, highlighting the gravity of offending or provoking a spiritually potent person and the far-reaching consequences of words and curses.