Shloka 23
Āstīka-stuti at Janamejaya’s Sacrifice (आस्तीकस्तुतिः / यज्ञप्रशंसा)
स दष्टमात्रो नागेन भस्मी भूतो 5 भवन्नग: । काश्यपश्च ततो राजन्नजीवयत त॑ नगम्,नागके डँसते ही वह वृक्ष जलकर भस्म हो गया। राजन! तदनन्तर काश्यपने (अपनी मन्त्र-विद्याके बलसे) उस वृक्षको पूर्ववत् जीवित (हरा-भरा) कर दिया
sa daṣṭamātro nāgena bhasmībhūto bhavann agaḥ | kāśyapaś ca tato rājan ajīvayat taṃ nagam ||
No instante em que a serpente o mordeu, a árvore foi reduzida a cinzas. Então, ó Rei, Kaśyapa devolveu a vida àquela mesma árvore por meio do seu saber sustentado pelo poder dos mantras, restaurando-a como antes.
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts destructive power (venom) with restorative power (mantra-knowledge), implying an ethical tension: knowledge can be used to harm or to heal, and disciplined sacred learning can counteract even sudden catastrophe.
Takṣaka describes a demonstration: a serpent’s bite instantly burns a tree to ashes, and then the sage Kāśyapa revives the same tree, illustrating both the potency of the nāga’s poison and Kāśyapa’s life-restoring mantra skill.