Shloka 23
शृङ्गिशापः—तक्षककाश्यपसंवादः (Śṛṅgī’s Curse and the Takṣaka–Kāśyapa Dialogue)
ततो नाम स कन्याया: पप्रच्छ भृगुनन्दन । वासुकिं भरणं चास्या न कुर्यामित्युवाच ह,सोचा, सम्भव है। यह कन्या मेरे-जैसे नामवाली न हो। इसके भरण-पोषणका भार किसपर रहेगा, इस बातका निर्णय भी अभीतक नहीं हो पाया है। इसके सिवा मैं मोक्षभावमें स्थित हूँ, यही सोचकर उन्होंने पत्नी-परिग्रहमें शिथिलता दिखायी। भृगुनन्दन! इसीलिये पहले उन्होंने वासुकिसे उस कन्याका नाम पूछा और यह स्पष्ट कह दिया---मैं इसका भरण-पोषण नहीं करूँगा”
tato nāma sa kanyāyāḥ papraccha bhṛgunandana | vāsukiṁ bharaṇaṁ cāsyā na kuryām ity uvāca ha ||
Então ele perguntou o nome da jovem, ó deleite dos Bhṛgus. E declarou com clareza: “Não assumirei o seu sustento”, revelando relutância em tomar para si a responsabilidade por sua criação e amparo. Em termos narrativos, o verso põe em evidência a tensão ética entre os deveres de parentesco/guarda e a tentativa do falante de se retirar das obrigações mundanas.
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic dilemma: knowing someone’s identity (asking the girl’s name) is paired with a refusal to accept the practical duty of care (bharaṇa). It invites reflection on how ethical responsibility is negotiated—especially when one claims detachment or seeks to avoid entanglement in household obligations.
A speaker (Takṣaka, addressing a Bhṛgu-descendant) reports that someone first inquired about the girl’s name and then stated plainly that he would not provide for her maintenance. The moment functions as a narrative pivot: identification is sought, but guardianship is declined.