Shloka 6
Vyāsa’s Arrival at Janamejaya’s Sarpasatra; Commissioning of Vaiśaṃpāyana’s Recital (व्यासागमनम्)
उच्चै:श्रवा: सो5श्वराजो यन्मिथ्या न कृतो मम । विनतार्थाय पणिते दासी भावाय पुत्रका:
Āstīka uvāca | uccaiḥśravāḥ so 'śvarājo yan mithyā na kṛto mama | vinatārthāya paṇite dāsī-bhāvāya putrakāḥ ||
ଅଶ୍ୱରାଜ ଉଚ୍ଚୈଃଶ୍ରବା ବିଷୟରେ ବିନତା ସହ ପଣ ହୋଇଥିଲା; ଶର୍ତ୍ତ ଥିଲା—ଯେ ହାରିବ ସେ ଜିତୁଥିବାର ଦାସୀ ହେବ। ହେ ପୁତ୍ରମାନେ! ମୋ କଥା ସତ୍ତ୍ୱେ ତୁମେ ଛଳ କରି ସେ ଘୋଡ଼ାର ପୁଛର ରଙ୍ଗ ବଦଳାଇ ବିନତାଙ୍କ କଥାକୁ ମିଥ୍ୟା କରିଲ ନାହିଁ; ତେଣୁ ଜନମେଜୟଙ୍କ ଯଜ୍ଞରେ ଅଗ୍ନି ତୁମକୁ ଜଳାଇ ଭସ୍ମ କରିଦେବ—ତୁମେ ସମସ୍ତେ ମରି ପ୍ରେତଲୋକକୁ ଯିବ।
आस्तीक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the moral tension between truth and deceit: refusing to commit fraud may be ethically sound, yet within the narrative it triggers a curse and sets in motion karmic consequences culminating in Janamejaya’s snake-sacrifice. It underscores how rash vows and manipulative wagers can generate long chains of suffering.
Āstīka recounts the episode where a wager about Uccaiḥśravā’s tail leads to a demand for deception. The serpent-sons do not comply with altering the horse’s tail to make Vinatā lose, and as a result they are cursed—foretelling their destruction in King Janamejaya’s sacrificial rite.