Shloka 33

Devanagari script

आशीविषदिषं तीक्ष्णं ततस्तीक्ष्णतरो द्विज: । ब्रह्माशीविषदग्धस्य नास्ति कश्चिच्चिकित्सक:,“कहते हैं--विषैले साँपोंका विष बड़ा तीखा होता है, परंतु ब्राह्मण उससे भी अधिक तीक्ष्ण होता है। जो ब्राह्मणरूपी विषधर सर्पसे जलाया गया हो, उसके लिये इस संसारमें कोई चिकित्सक नहीं है"

Transliteration

āśīviṣa-viṣaṃ tīkṣṇaṃ tatas tīkṣṇataro dvijaḥ | brahmāśīviṣa-dagdhasya nāsti kaś cic cikitsakaḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu berkata: “Bisa ular berbisa memang tajam dan membawa maut; namun seorang brahmana, apabila menyala oleh amarah dan diperkasa oleh daya tapa, boleh menjadi lebih tajam lagi. Bagi sesiapa yang telah ‘terbakar’ oleh kuasa brahmana yang laksana ular—ditimpa sumpah atau luka rohani—tiada tabib di dunia ini yang mampu memberi penawar.”

Word by Word

आशीविषदिषम्a venomous serpent (lit. poison-bearing)

तीक्ष्णम्sharp, fierce

ततःthan that; from that

तीक्ष्णतरःsharper, more fierce

द्विजःa Brahmin (lit. twice-born)

ब्रह्माशीविषदग्धस्यof one burned by the Brahmin-like venomous serpent

नnot

अस्तिthere is

कश्चित्anyone, someone

चिकित्सकःphysician, healer

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

dvija (brahmin)

āśīviṣa (venomous serpent)

viṣa (poison)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that spiritual authority and speech, especially when wielded by a brahmin endowed with tapas and learning, can cause harm more irreversible than physical poison. It urges restraint, humility, and careful conduct toward those whose words carry moral and spiritual force, emphasizing that some injuries—like those from a curse or grievous offense—may not admit an easy ‘cure.’

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is speaking and uses a striking comparison: snake-venom is deadly, but the ‘serpent-like’ power of a brahmin is deadlier still. The statement functions as a moral admonition within the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic discourse, highlighting the gravity of offending or provoking a spiritually potent person and the far-reaching consequences of words and curses.