Shloka 18

Karma, Preta-gati, and the Continuity of Phala

Mārkaṇḍeya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच ब्रृहि सर्प यथाकामं प्रतिवक्ष्यामि ते वच: । अपि चेच्छकनुयां प्रीतिमाहर्तु ते भुजज्म,युधिष्ठिरने कहा--सर्प! तुम इच्छानुसार प्रश्न करो। मैं तुम्हारी बातका उत्तर दूँगा। भुजंगम! यदि हो सका, तो तुम्हें प्रसन्न करनेका प्रयत्न करूँगा

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: brūhi sarpa yathākāmaṁ prativakṣyāmi te vacaḥ | api cecchakanuyāṁ prītim āhartu te bhujaṅgama ||

Translation

யுதிஷ்டிரன் கூறினான்—பாம்பே! உனக்கு விருப்பமானதை கேள்; உன் சொற்களுக்கு நான் பதில் அளிப்பேன். நாகமே! இயன்றால் உன்னைத் திருப்திப்படுத்தவும் முயல்வேன்.

Word by Word

[{'term''युधिष्ठिर उवाच (Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca)', 'definition': 'Yudhiṣṭhira said'}, {'term': 'ब्रूहि (brūhi)', 'definition': 'speak

tell'}, {'term''सर्प (sarpa)', 'definition': 'serpent'}, {'term': 'यथाकामम् (yathākāmam)', 'definition': 'as you wish

according to your desire'}, {'term''प्रतिवक्ष्यामि (prativakṣyāmi)', 'definition': 'I will answer

I will reply'}, {'term''ते (te)', 'definition': 'your

to you'}, {'term''वचः (vacaḥ)', 'definition': 'speech

statement'}, {'term''अपि चेत् (api cet)', 'definition': 'and if

even if'}, {'term''शकन् (śakan)', 'definition': 'being able

if able'}, {'term''अनुयाम् (anuyām)', 'definition': 'I may follow/comply

I may act accordingly (optative nuance)'}, {'term''प्रीतिम् (prītim)', 'definition': 'pleasure

goodwill'}, {'term''आहर्तुम् (āhartum)', 'definition': 'to bring

to produce'}, {'term''भुजङ्गम (bhujaṅgama)', 'definition': 'serpent

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Sarpa (serpent)

Bhujaṅgama (nāga/serpent)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dhārmic conduct in dialogue: a wise person invites questions without hostility, commits to truthful reply, and aims to satisfy the questioner through respectful, measured speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the forest episode where a serpent-like being confronts Yudhiṣṭhira, Yudhiṣṭhira calmly invites the serpent to ask whatever it wishes and promises to respond, seeking to appease it through reasoned answers.