Shloka 7
Karma, Preta-gati, and the Continuity of Phala
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Instruction
व्रतमेतन्महाबाहो विषयं मम यो व्रजेत् स मे भक्षो भवेत् तात त्वं चापि विषये मम,महाबाहो! मेरा यह नियम है कि मेरी अधिकृत भूमिके भीतर जो भी आ जायगा, वह मेरा भक्ष्य बन जायगा। तात! इस समय तुम भी मेरे अधिकारकी सीमामें ही आ गये हो
vratam etan mahābāho viṣayaṁ mama yo vrajet sa me bhakṣo bhavet tāta tvaṁ cāpi viṣaye mama
A serpente disse: “Ó de braços poderosos, este é o meu voto: quem entrar no meu domínio torna-se meu alimento. Meu filho, tu também já entraste agora nos limites da minha autoridade.”
सर्प उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between a self-declared vow and broader dharma: mere entry into a territory is claimed as sufficient cause for harm. It invites reflection on whether power and jurisdiction alone can justify violence, and how vows can be misused when detached from compassion and righteousness.
A serpent addresses a hero, declaring a strict rule: anyone who comes within its territorial domain becomes its prey. The addressee is told that he has already crossed into that domain and is therefore subject to the serpent’s claim.