Shloka 34
Jaratkāru’s Marital Compact and Departure (जरत्कारु–जरत्कारुणी संवादः)
ते चैनमन्ववर्तन्त मन्त्रिण: कालचोदिता: । एवमुकक््त्वा स राजेन्द्रो ग्रीवायां संनिवेश्य ह,कालसे प्रेरित होकर मन्त्रियोंने भी उनकी हाँ-में-हाँ मिला दी। मन्त्रियोंसे पूर्वोक्त बात कहकर राजाधिराज परीक्षित् उस लघु कीटको कंधेपर रखकर जोर-जोरसे हँसने लगे। वे तत्काल ही मरनेवाले थे; अतः उनकी बुद्धि मारी गयी थी। राजा अभी हँस ही रहे थे कि उन्हें जो निवेदित किया गया था उस फलसे निकलकर तक्षक नागने अपने शरीरसे उनको जकड़ लिया। इस प्रकार वेगपूर्वक उनके शरीरमें लिपटकर नागराज तक्षकने बड़े जोरसे गर्जना की और भूपाल परीक्षित्को डँस लिया
takṣaka uvāca | te cainam anvavartanta mantriṇaḥ kālacoditāḥ | evam uktvā sa rājendro grīvāyāṃ saṃniveśya ha ||
Takṣaka said: “And his ministers, driven on by the force of Time, echoed his course and went along with it. Having spoken thus, the king of kings placed it upon his neck.” In the ethical frame of the episode, the verse underscores how arrogance and heedlessness, when joined with the momentum of ‘kāla’ (inevitable consequence/time), draw even a ruler and his counsel into a fatal chain of action.
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ‘kāla’—the ripening of consequences—can propel people into agreement and action even when judgment is clouded. Ethically, it warns that pride and careless mockery, especially by leaders, invite downfall, and that counsel can become complicit when it merely echoes a ruler’s impulse.
Takṣaka narrates that the king’s ministers, driven by Time’s momentum, went along with the king’s behavior. After speaking, the king places the object (contextually, the dead snake used in insult) upon his neck—an act that sets the stage for Takṣaka’s impending retaliation.