Shloka 34
Āstīka-stuti at Janamejaya’s Sacrifice (आस्तीकस्तुतिः / यज्ञप्रशंसा)
यद् वृक्षं जीवयामास काश्यपस्तक्षकेण वै | नूनं मन्त्रहतविषो न प्रणश्येत काश्यपात्
yad vṛkṣaṁ jīvayāmāsa kāśyapas takṣakeṇa vai | nūnaṁ mantrahataviṣo na praṇaśyet kāśyapāt ||
ຈະນະເມຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: “ໃຜເປັນຜູ້ເລົ່າໃຫ້ພວກເຈົ້າຟັງເຖິງຕົ້ນໄມ້ນັ້ນ ທີ່ກາສະຍະປະໄດ້ຊຸບຊີວິດຄືນ ຫຼັງຈາກຖືກຕັກສະກະກັດ? ເມື່ອຕັກສະກະກັດມັນ ມັນກາຍເປັນກອງຂີ້ເທົ່າ; ແຕ່ກາສະຍະປະໄດ້ປຸກມັນໃຫ້ຟື້ນຄືນ ແລະໃຫ້ຂຽວຂະຫຍາຍອີກຄັ້ງ—ເປັນຄວາມອັດສະຈັນແກ່ຊາວໂລກທັງປວງ. ແນ່ນອນວ່າ ຖ້າກາສະຍະປະມາທັນເວລາ ແລະໃຊ້ມັນຕຣາລົບລ້າງພິດຂອງຕັກສະກະ, ພໍ່ຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າກໍຈະບໍ່ພິນາດ.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between destiny and timely right action: extraordinary knowledge and power (mantra, healing) matter only when applied at the right moment. It also shows how grief can turn into a moral justification for vengeance, setting the stage for Janamejaya’s later actions.
Janamejaya questions the report that the sage Kāśyapa revived a tree burned to ashes by Takṣaka’s bite. He reasons that if Kāśyapa could neutralize the serpent’s poison, then—had he arrived in time—Janamejaya’s father (King Parīkṣit) would have been saved.