Shloka 18
पुच्छे प्रगृह्दा तरसा हीनवीर्यपराक्रमम् । सालोक्यमन्तकस्यैनं नयाम्यद्येह वानरम्,और भीतर-ही-भीतर यह संकल्प किया कि “आज मैं इस बल और पराक्रमसे शून्य वानरको वेगपूर्वक इसकी पूँछ पकड़कर यमराजके लोकमें भेज देता हूँ
pucche pragṛhītā tarasā hīna-vīrya-parākramam | sālokyam antakasya enam nayāmi adya iha vānarām ||
Sambil mencengkeram ekornya dengan cepat, ia bertekad dalam hati, “Hari ini, di sini juga, akan kukirim monyet yang kehilangan kekuatan dan keberanian ini ke alam Antaka (Yama), agar berbagi dunia yang sama dengan Maut.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how anger and contempt can drive a person toward disproportionate, lethal punishment. Ethically, it warns that abandoning restraint (dama) and discernment (viveka) leads to adharma—treating another being as powerless and therefore expendable.
A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) describes someone forcefully grabbing a monkey by its tail and forming an inner resolve to send it to Yama’s realm—i.e., to kill it—because it is seen as lacking strength and valor.