Shloka 5
आदि पर्व, अध्याय ३८ — शमीक-उपदेशः, शाप-संदेशः, तक्षक-प्रसङ्गः (Śamīka’s counsel, the curse-message, and Takṣaka’s approach)
अहं शापे समुत्सष्टे समश्रौषं वचस्तदा । मातुरुत्संगमारूढो भयात् पन्नगसत्तमा:,'श्रेष्ठ नागगण! हमारे ऊपर आया हुआ यह भय भी दैवजनित ही है, अतः हमें दैवका ही आश्रय लेना चाहिये। उत्तम सर्पगण! इस विषयमें आपलोग मेरी बात सुनें। जब माताने सर्पोंको यह शाप दिया था, उस समय भयके मारे मैं माताकी गोदमें चढ़ गया था। पन्नगप्रवर महातेजस्वी नागराजगण! तभी दुःखसे आतुर होकर ब्रह्माजीके समीप आये हुए देवताओंकी यह वाणी मेरे कानोंमें पड़ी--'“अहो! स्त्रियाँ बड़ी कठोर होती हैं, बड़ी कठोर होती हैं!
ahaṁ śāpe samutsṛṣṭe samaśrauṣaṁ vacas tadā | mātur utsaṅgam ārūḍho bhayāt pannagasattamāḥ ||
ఓ నాగశ్రేష్ఠులారా, ఆ శాపం ప్రకటించబడిన వేళ నేను ఆ మాటలను విన్నాను. భయంతో నేను నా తల్లి ఒడిలోకి ఎక్కాను, ఓ ఉత్తమ నాగులారా.
शेष उवाच
Educational Q&A
Fear and crisis (here, a curse) naturally drive beings to seek refuge and to attend carefully to guidance; the verse highlights the immediate human/creaturely impulse to cling to protective support (the mother’s lap) when confronted with the consequences of a grave utterance.
Śeṣa recounts the moment a curse was pronounced against the serpents; at that time he heard certain words and, frightened, climbed into his mother’s lap, addressing the assembled serpents as ‘the best of pannagas.’