Shloka 9
Śṛṅgī’s Curse on King Parikṣit
Parikṣit–Śṛṅgī–Takṣaka Causal Link
यथा स यज्ञो न भवेद् यथा वापि पराभव: । जनमेजयस्य सर्पाणां विनाशकरणाय वै,सर्पोके विनाशके लिये आरम्भ होनेवाला जनमेजयका यज्ञ जिस प्रकार टल जाय अथवा जिस तरह उसमें विघ्न पड़ जाय, वह उपाय हमें सोचना चाहिये
yathā sa yajño na bhaved yathā vāpi parābhavaḥ | janamejayasya sarpāṇāṁ vināśa-karaṇāya vai ||
Śeṣa berkata: “Kita mesti merancang suatu cara agar upacara korban suci Janamejaya—yang dimulakan untuk membinasakan para ular—sama ada tidak berlaku sama sekali, atau jika berlaku pun, digagalkan dan berakhir dengan kegagalan.”
शेष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights strategic and ethical reflection in the face of collective punishment: when a destructive ritual is set in motion, those threatened seek lawful or prudent means to prevent it or cause its failure, implying that power exercised through ritual should be examined for justice and proportionality.
Śeṣa, speaking on behalf of the serpent community, recognizes that King Janamejaya’s sacrifice is intended to exterminate the serpents. He urges that they think of a way to stop the sacrifice from being performed or to create an obstacle that makes it unsuccessful.