Shloka 21
Āstīka Stops the Sarpa-satra; Royal Closure and Protective Phalaśruti (आस्तीकः सर्पसत्रनिवर्तनम्)
दहान्त्यड्रानि मे भद्रे न दिश: प्रतिभान्ति च । सीदामीव च सम्मोहात् घूर्णतीव च मे मन:,“भद्रे! मेरे अंगोंमें जलन हो रही है। मुझे दिशाएँ नहीं सूझतीं। मैं शिथिल-सा हो रहा हूँ और मोहवश मेरे मस्तिष्कमें चक््कर-सा आ रहा है, मेरे नेत्र घूम रहे हैं, हृदय अत्यन्त विदीर्ण-सा होता जा रहा है। जान पड़ता है, आज मैं भी विवश होकर उस यज्ञकी प्रज्वलित अग्निमें गिर पडूँगा
dahānty aṅgāni me bhadre na diśaḥ pratibhānti ca | sīdāmīva ca sammohāt ghūrṇatīva ca me manaḥ ||
“Ó senhora gentil, meus membros ardem; as direções já não me parecem claras. Sinto como se estivesse afundando na fraqueza e, pelo aturdimento, minha mente parece girar. Meus sentidos vacilam e meu coração se sente como se fosse rasgado. Parece que hoje, impotente, eu também cairei no fogo ardente daquele sacrifício.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming sorrow and moral shock can manifest as physical and mental disorientation. It implicitly warns that intense grief may drive one toward self-destructive impulses, underscoring the need for steadiness (dhairya) and discernment (viveka) when confronted with traumatic events connected to ritual and duty.
Śaunaka describes acute distress: his body feels as if it is burning, he loses sense of direction, and his mind reels in confusion. He fears that, unable to bear the situation, he may be compelled to throw himself into the blazing sacrificial fire—an expression of extreme despair in the context of a yajña.