Shloka 426
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
अग्निदेवने उसकी भी जिह्ला उलट दी। अब अग्निदेवको प्रत्यक्ष देखकर देवताओंने दयायुक्त होकर शुकसे कहा--“तू शुकयोनिमें रहकर अत्यन्त वाणीरहित नहीं होगा--कुछ- कुछ बोल सकेगा। जीभ उलट जानेपर भी तेरी बोली बड़ी मधुर एवं कमनीय होगी ।।
agnidevena tasya jihvā ulṭā kṛtā | atha agnidevaṃ pratyakṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā devā dayāyuktāḥ śukam ūcuḥ— “tvaṃ śukayonau sthitvā atyantaṃ vāṇīrahito na bhaviṣyasi—kiñcit-kiñcid vaktuṃ śakṣyasi | jihvāyā ulṭāyāṃ satyām api tava vāk atīva madhurā ca kamanīyā ca bhaviṣyati || bālasyeva pravṛddhasya kalamavyaktam adbhutam | yathā pravṛddhasya puruṣasya bālabhāṣāyāṃ na vyaktā adbhutā toṭalī vāk madhurā pratibhāti, tathā tava vāk api sarveṣāṃ priyā bhaviṣyati ||”
ビーシュマは語った。アグニはシュカの舌を裏返した。やがて神々は、眼前に顕現したアグニを見て憐れみを起こし、シュカに告げた。「たとえ汝が鸚鵡の胎に宿ろうとも、言葉をまったく失うことはない。わずかながら語ることができよう。舌が反っても、汝の声はこの上なく甘美で愛らしい。幼子の不分明な舌足らずの言葉が、老いた者の耳にも不思議と甘く響くように、汝の言葉もまた万人に愛されるであろう。」この逸話は、神罰が慈悲によって和らげられるさまを示す。制限は課されるが、代わりの恩寵が与えられ、その存在が損なわれるだけでなく、なお益をもたらすようにされるのである。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a corrective consequence is imposed, dharma is fulfilled more fully when it is balanced with compassion; limitation can be accompanied by a compensating grace that preserves dignity and benefit to others.
Agni reverses Shuka’s tongue, restricting his speech; the gods, seeing Agni directly, pity Shuka and grant that although he will be in a parrot-birth, his speech will still be possible and will sound sweet and pleasing—like a child’s charming lisp.