Shloka 21
Āstīka-stuti at Janamejaya’s Sacrifice (आस्तीकस्तुतिः / यज्ञप्रशंसा)
तक्षक उवाच किमर्थ तं मया दष्टं संजीवयितुमिच्छसि । अहं स तक्षको ब्रह्मन् पश्य मे वीर्यमद्भुतम्
Takṣaka uvāca: kimarthaṁ taṁ mayā daṣṭaṁ saṁjīvayitum icchasi? ahaṁ sa Takṣako brahman paśya me vīryam adbhutam.
ຕັກສະກະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ເຈົ້າປາຖະໜາຈະຊຸກຊີວິດຄືນໃຫ້ຄົນທີ່ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າກັດໄວ້ ເພາະຫຍັງ? ຂ້າພະເຈົ້ານີ້ແຫຼະ ຄືຕັກສະກະ, ໂອ ພຣາຫມັນ—ຈົ່ງເບິ່ງພະລັງອັນອັດສະຈັນຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ!»
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between human compassion that tries to undo death and the principle that actions bear inevitable consequences; Takṣaka’s boast underscores how power can be used to assert inevitability and resist moral intervention.
Takṣaka confronts a Brahmin who wishes to revive a person bitten by the serpent; Takṣaka identifies himself and challenges the Brahmin to witness his extraordinary potency, implying that the victim cannot be brought back to life.