Shloka 41
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
अथवा मततमेतत्ते ते5प्यन्योन्यप्रयोजका: । कार्यकारणसंदेहो भवत्यन्योन्यचोदनात्
athavā matam etat te te 'py anyonya-prayojakāḥ | kārya-kāraṇa-sandeho bhavaty anyonya-codanāt ||
«ຫຼືຖ້ານີ້ແມ່ນທັດສະນະຂອງເຈົ້າ—ວ່າເຄື່ອງມືເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນ (ເຊັ່ນ ລໍ້ ແລະ ອື່ນໆ) ກະຕຸ້ນກັນແລະກັນ ແລະຈຶ່ງນັບເປັນເຫດໄດ້—ເມື່ອຍອມຮັບການກະຕຸ້ນກັນແບບນັ້ນ ຄວາມສົງໄສກໍເກີດຂຶ້ນໃນການຕັດສິນວ່າອັນໃດແມ່ນເຫດ ແລະອັນໃດແມ່ນຜົນ. ເມື່ອກ່າວວ່າແຕ່ລະອັນກະຕຸ້ນອີກອັນ ການກຳນົດລຳດັບເຫດກໍກາຍເປັນຄວາມຄລຸມເຄືອ.»
सर्प उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques a theory of mutual causation: if two factors are said to cause each other, then the distinction between cause and effect becomes indeterminate, producing epistemic doubt about causal priority and responsibility.
The serpent-speaker challenges an opponent’s explanation of how instruments like punishment and related mechanisms function as causes, arguing that claiming they mutually impel one another undermines any clear decision about what truly causes what.