Shloka 14
Karma, Preta-gati, and the Continuity of Phala
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Instruction
ऐश्वर्यमदमत्तो5हमवमन्य ततो द्विजान् । इमामगस्त्येन दशामानीत: पृथिवीपते,तब उस ऐश्वर्यको पाकर मेरा अहंकार बढ़ गया। मैंने सहस्रों ब्राह्यगोंसे अपनी पालकी ढुलवायी। तदनन्तर ऐश्वर्यके मदसे उन्मत्त हो मैंने बहुत-से ब्राह्मगोंका अपमान किया। पृथ्वीपते! इससे कुपित हुए महर्षि अगस्त्यने मुझे इस अवस्थाको पहुँचा दिया। पाण्डुनन्दन नरेश! उन्हीं महात्मा अगस्त्यकी कृपासे आजतक मेरी स्मरणशक्ति मुझे छोड़ नहीं सकी है। (मेरी स्मृति ज्यों-की-त्यों बनी हुई है)
sarpa uvāca | aiśvaryamadamattō 'ham avamanya tato dvijān | imām agastyena daśām ānītaḥ pṛthivīpate |
The serpent said: “Intoxicated by the pride of power and prosperity, I despised the twice-born. O lord of the earth, the sage Agastya reduced me to this condition. Drunk with wealth, I had my palanquin carried by thousands of Brahmins; then, maddened by that prosperity, I insulted many Brahmins. Enraged by this, the great seer Agastya brought me to this state. Yet by that great soul’s grace, my memory has not left me even today—my awareness remains intact.”
सर्प उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly power and wealth can breed mada (arrogant intoxication), leading to adharma such as contempt for the dvijas. Disrespecting the worthy invites swift moral consequence; yet even punishment can be tempered by a sage’s grace, preserving awareness so that repentance and learning remain possible.
A serpent recounts his past: once prosperous, he forced Brahmins to carry his palanquin and insulted them. The sage Agastya, angered by this misconduct, reduced him to his present degraded condition (serpent-form). Despite this, the serpent retains clear memory due to Agastya’s grace.