Mahabharata — Adi Parva, Shloka 4
Śṛṅgī’s Curse on King Parikṣit
Parikṣit–Śṛṅgī–Takṣaka Causal Link
सर्वेषामेव शापानां प्रतिघातो हि विद्यते । नतु मात्राभिशप्तानां मोक्ष: क्वचन विद्यते
sarveṣām eva śāpānāṃ pratighāto hi vidyate | na tu mātrābhiśaptānāṃ mokṣaḥ kvacana vidyate ||
“Para toda espécie de maldição, pode-se de fato encontrar um contragolpe. Mas para aqueles que foram amaldiçoados pela própria mãe, não há libertação em parte alguma.”
शेष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that not all wrongs are equal in moral weight: a mother’s curse is treated as uniquely binding, highlighting reverence for parents and the ethical seriousness of familial speech-acts.
In the Nāga-related episode of Ādi Parva, the speaker reflects on the curse placed upon the serpent community and stresses that while many curses can be countered, a maternal curse is portrayed as inescapable, shaping their response and future actions.