Shloka 180
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
तेन हानपराधी स दष्टो दुष्टान्तरात्मना । पज्चत्वमगमद् राजा वज्राहत इव द्रुम:,यद्यपि आपके पिता महाराज परीक्षितने कोई अपराध नहीं किया था तो भी उस दुष्टात्मा सर्पने उन्हें डँस लिया और वे वज्रके मारे हुए वृक्षकी भाँति तुरंत ही गिरकर कालके गालमें चले गये
tena hānāparādhī sa daṣṭo duṣṭāntarātmanā | pañcatvam agamad rājā vajrāhata iva drumaḥ ||
Though he was free from any fault, the king was bitten by that serpent of wicked inner nature; and the ruler met his end at once, like a tree struck down by a thunderbolt. The passage underscores the tragic power of malice and the vulnerability of even the blameless when adharma takes violent form.
उत्तड़क उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that harm can be inflicted even upon the innocent when driven by a wicked will, and it implicitly condemns malicious action (adharma). It also evokes the fragility of life and the ethical urgency to restrain cruelty and vindictiveness.
Uttanka describes how a king—despite being without offense—was bitten by a serpent of evil intent and died immediately, compared to a tree felled by a thunderbolt. The statement functions as a lament and an accusation against the agent of harm.