Mahabharata 1.46.23 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 46, Shloka 23
शृङ्गिशापः—तक्षककाश्यपसंवादः (Śṛṅgī’s Curse and the Takṣaka–Kāśyapa Dialogue)
ततो नाम स कन्याया: पप्रच्छ भृगुनन्दन । वासुकिं भरणं चास्या न कुर्यामित्युवाच ह
tato nāma sa kanyāyāḥ papraccha bhṛgunandana | vāsukiṁ bharaṇaṁ cāsyā na kuryām ity uvāca ha ||
അപ്പോൾ ഭൃഗുനന്ദനേ! അദ്ദേഹം ആ കന്യയുടെ പേര് ചോദിച്ചു; വാസുകിയോട് വ്യക്തമായി പറഞ്ഞു—“ഞാൻ അവളുടെ ഭരണം-പോഷണം ഏറ്റെടുക്കുകയില്ല.” ഇങ്ങനെ അവളുടെ പരിപാലനബാധ്യത ഏറ്റെടുക്കുന്നതിൽ അദ്ദേഹം മടിപ്പ് പ്രകടിപ്പിച്ചു.
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic dilemma: knowing someone’s identity (asking the girl’s name) is paired with a refusal to accept the practical duty of care (bharaṇa). It invites reflection on how ethical responsibility is negotiated—especially when one claims detachment or seeks to avoid entanglement in household obligations.
A speaker (Takṣaka, addressing a Bhṛgu-descendant) reports that someone first inquired about the girl’s name and then stated plainly that he would not provide for her maintenance. The moment functions as a narrative pivot: identification is sought, but guardianship is declined.
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