Shloka 10
Āstīka-stuti at Janamejaya’s Sacrifice (आस्तीकस्तुतिः / यज्ञप्रशंसा)
अनागसि गुरौ यो मे मृतं सर्पमवासृजत् । त॑ नागस्तक्षकः क्रुद्धस्तेजसा प्रदहिष्यति
anāgasi gurau yo me mṛtaṃ sarpam avāsṛjat | taṃ nāgas takṣakaḥ kruddhas tejasā pradahiṣyati
Janamejaya berkata: “Sesiapa pun—walaupun tidak bersalah—yang melemparkan bangkai ular ke atas guruku yang mulia, akan dibakar menjadi abu oleh Takṣaka, sang ular yang murka, dengan kuasa api tejasnya.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between guilt and punishment: even when a person is ‘anāgasi’ (innocent), an act that violates reverence toward a guru can trigger severe consequences through anger and retaliatory power. It also warns how wrath (kruddhaḥ) and unchecked retribution can override careful discernment of culpability.
Janamejaya refers to the incident in which a dead snake was placed upon his guru. He declares that Takṣaka, the enraged serpent, will burn the perpetrator with his fiery energy—foreshadowing the chain of events that intensifies hostility toward Takṣaka and the Nāgas.