Shloka 19
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
सचाब्रवीदयं ते स पुत्रहा पन्नगाधम: । ब्रृहि क्षिप्रं महाभागे वध्यतां केन हेतुना,लाकर उसने कहा--“महाभागे! यही वह नीच सर्प है, जिसने तुम्हारे पुत्रको मार डाला है। जल्दी बताओ, मैं किस तरह इसका वध करूँ?
sa cābravīd ayaṃ te sa putrahā pannagādhamaḥ | brūhi kṣipraṃ mahābhāge vadhyatāṃ kena hetunā ||
Lalu dia berkata: “Wahai wanita mulia, inilah ular hina yang telah membunuh anakmu. Katakan segera: atas sebab apa, dan dengan cara bagaimana, harus aku bunuh ia?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames punishment as something that should be grounded in a clear cause (hetu) and deliberate decision, not merely in rage—hinting at the dharmic need to examine motive, means, and justification before taking life.
A speaker identifies a serpent as the killer of a woman’s son and urges her to decide swiftly how and on what grounds the serpent should be slain, setting up a moral inquiry into vengeance versus righteous punishment.