Shloka 22
उच्चैःश्रवसः वर्णविपणः तथा नागशापः
Uccaiḥśravas Color-Wager and the Nāga Curse
तस्मिंश्व भ्राम्यमाणेडद्रौ संघृष्यन्त: परस्परम् । न्यपतन् पतगोपेता: पर्वताग्रान्महाद्रुमा:,जब वह पर्वत घुमाया जाने लगा, उस समय उसके शिखरसे बड़े-बड़े वृक्ष आपसमें टकराकर उनपर निवास करनेवाले पक्षियोंसहित नीचे गिर पड़े
tasmiṁś ca bhrāmyamāṇe ’drāv saṅghṛṣyantaḥ parasparam | nyapatan patagopetāḥ parvatāgrān mahādrumāḥ ||
As that mountain was being whirled about, the great trees on its summit—rubbing and crashing against one another—fell down, along with the birds that dwelt upon them. The scene underscores how violent, uncontrolled force, even when applied for a larger purpose, can bring collateral harm to innocent life and the natural order.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the unintended suffering that can arise when immense power is set in motion: even if the broader aim is significant, reckless or forceful action can damage the innocent and disrupt the natural world, inviting reflection on restraint and responsibility.
A mountain is being spun/whirled; as it turns, the trees on its peak collide with each other and fall down, and the birds living in those trees fall with them.