Shloka 19
Jaratkāru’s Marital Compact and Departure (जरत्कारु–जरत्कारुणी संवादः)
दिव्यज्ञान: स तेजस्वी ज्ञात्वा तं नृपतिं तदा । क्षीणायुषं पाण्डवेयमपावर्तत काश्यप:
takṣaka uvāca |
divyajñānaḥ sa tejasvī jñātvā taṃ nṛpatiṃ tadā |
kṣīṇāyuṣaṃ pāṇḍaveyam apāvartata kāśyapaḥ |
mantraiś ca auṣadhir viṣaharaiḥ rakṣyamāṇaṃ prayatnataḥ |
Kāśyapa yang bercahaya, berpengetahuan ilahi, mengetahui ketika itu bahawa usia Raja Parīkṣit dari keturunan Pāṇḍava telah sampai ke penghujungnya. Maka beliau pun berpaling pulang. Dan Takṣaka mendengar bahawa Raja Parīkṣit sedang dijaga dengan teliti melalui mantra-mantra serta ubat-ubatan penawar bisa.
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even strong protections—ritual (mantra) and medical (antidotes)—may fail when one’s allotted lifespan is exhausted; the passage highlights the Mahābhārata theme that kāla (destined time) and karma set limits to human control.
Takṣaka narrates that the sage Kāśyapa, though capable of countering poison, realized Parīkṣit’s death was imminent and turned back; meanwhile Parīkṣit is being guarded with mantras and antidotal medicines against the expected serpent attack.