Shloka 19
Ruru’s Lament and the Lifespan Exchange for Pramadvarā (रुरु–प्रमद्वरा आयुर्विभागः)
स लब्ध्वा दुर्लभां भार्या पद्मकिज्जल्कसुप्र भाम् । व्रतं चक्रे विनाशाय जिह्मगानां धृतव्रत:,कमलके केसरकी-सी कान्तिवाली उस दुर्लभ भार्याको पाकर व्रतधारी रुरुने सर्पोंके विनाशका निश्चय कर लिया
sa labdhvā durlabhāṃ bhāryāṃ padmakijjalkasuprabhām | vrataṃ cakre vināśāya jihmagānāṃ dhṛtavrataḥ ||
Having obtained that rare wife, radiant like the pollen-filaments of a lotus, the steadfast Ruru undertook a vow aimed at the destruction of serpents. The verse frames his resolve as a deliberate ethical choice: personal loss and fear harden into a retaliatory vow, setting up a tension between grief-driven vengeance and the demands of dharma.
धर्मराज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intense attachment and grief can turn into a rigid vow of retaliation. It invites reflection on whether a vow born from anger aligns with dharma, and foreshadows the moral complexity of punishing an entire class (serpents) for a particular harm.
Ruru, having gained a rare and exceptionally radiant wife, becomes fixed in a vow to destroy serpents. This marks the turning point where his personal circumstances lead him toward a campaign against snakes, setting up subsequent encounters and ethical questioning.