Shloka 21
Ruru’s Lament and the Lifespan Exchange for Pramadvarā (रुरु–प्रमद्वरा आयुर्विभागः)
स कदाचिद् वन विप्रो रुरुरभ्यागमन्महत् । शयानं तत्र चापश्यद् डुण्डुभं वयसान्वितम्,एक दिनकी बात है, ब्राह्मण रुक किसी विशाल वनमें गया, वहाँ उसने डुण्डुभ जातिके एक बूढ़े साँपको सोते देखा
sa kadācid vanaṃ vipro rurur abhyāgaman mahat | śayānaṃ tatra cāpaśyad ḍuṇḍubhaṃ vayasānvitam ||
Once, the Brahmin Ruru went into a vast forest. There he saw an aged serpent of the Dundubha kind lying asleep—an encounter that sets the stage for reflection on how one ought to treat even seemingly helpless creatures and what consequences follow from one’s conduct.
धर्मराज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse introduces a situation meant to test dharma: how one responds to a vulnerable being (here, an old sleeping serpent) can reveal one’s ethical disposition and lead to significant consequences.
Ruru, a Brahmin, enters a great forest and notices an aged Dundubha serpent lying asleep there, marking the beginning of an encounter that will develop into a moral episode.