Shloka 21
अध्याय ३४ — एलापत्रस्योपदेशः
Elāpatra’s Counsel on the Nāgas’ Deliverance
अथागतास्तमुददेशं सर्पा: सोमार्थिनस्तदा । सस््नाताश्न कृतजप्याश्च प्रह्ष्ा: कृतमंगला:,इसके अनन्तर अमृत पीनेकी इच्छावाले सर्प स्नान, जप और मंगल-कार्य करके प्रसन्नतापूर्वक उस स्थानपर आये, जहाँ कुशके आसनपर अमृत रखा गया था। आनेपर उन्हें मालूम हुआ कि कोई उसे हर ले गया। तब सर्पोने यह सोचकर संतोष किया कि यह हमारे कपटपूर्ण बर्तावका बदला है
athāgatās tam uddeśaṁ sarpāḥ somārthinas tadā | sasnātāś ca kṛtajapyāś ca prahṛṣṭāḥ kṛtamaṅgalāḥ ||
Então as serpentes, desejosas do Soma (o néctar da imortalidade), vieram àquele mesmo lugar. Tendo-se banhado, recitado suas fórmulas e concluído os ritos auspiciosos, chegaram cheias de júbilo—apenas para descobrir que o néctar, colocado sobre o assento de capim kuśa, fora levado. Ao perceberem isso, conformaram-se com a perda, tomando-a como a consequência justa de sua própria conduta enganosa.
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual purity and auspicious acts do not override moral causality: deceit invites a corresponding consequence. The serpents’ acceptance of the loss underscores the Mahābhārata’s emphasis that outcomes align with one’s conduct (karma and ethical reciprocity).
The serpents, eager to obtain the nectar/Soma, arrive at the designated place after bathing and performing japa and auspicious rites. They discover the nectar has already been taken away, and they interpret this loss as the return for their own earlier trickery.