Shloka 4
Śṛṅgī’s Curse on King Parikṣit
Parikṣit–Śṛṅgī–Takṣaka Causal Link
सर्वेषामेव शापानां प्रतिघातो हि विद्यते । नतु मात्राभिशप्तानां मोक्ष: क्वचन विद्यते,वासुकि बोले--निष्पाप नागगण! माताने हमें जिस प्रकार यह शाप दिया है, वह सब आपलोगोंको विदित ही है। उस शापसे छूटनेके लिये क्या उपाय हो सकता है? इसके विषयमें सलाह करके हम सब लोगोंको उसके लिये प्रयत्न करना चाहिये। सब शापोंका प्रतीकार सम्भव है, परंतु जो माताके शापसे ग्रस्त हैं, उनके छूटनेका कोई उपाय नहीं है
sarveṣām eva śāpānāṃ pratighāto hi vidyate | na tu mātrābhiśaptānāṃ mokṣaḥ kvacana vidyate ||
“For every kind of curse, a countermeasure can indeed be found. But for those who have been cursed by their mother, there is nowhere any release.” In this counsel, the speaker underscores the special moral gravity of a mother’s word: ordinary misfortunes may be remedied through effort or ritual, yet a maternal curse is portrayed as binding, demanding humility and acceptance rather than clever escape.
शेष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that not all wrongs are equal in moral weight: a mother’s curse is treated as uniquely binding, highlighting reverence for parents and the ethical seriousness of familial speech-acts.
In the Nāga-related episode of Ādi Parva, the speaker reflects on the curse placed upon the serpent community and stresses that while many curses can be countered, a maternal curse is portrayed as inescapable, shaping their response and future actions.