Shloka 20
Adhyāya 2: Nārada’s Disclosure—Karṇa’s Training and the Brahmin’s Curse (Śānti-parva)
सोअग्निहोत्रप्रसक्तस्य कस्यचिद् ब्रह्मुवादिन: । जघानाज्ञानत:ः पार्थ होमधेनुं यदृच्छया,पार्थ! उस समय अन्निहोत्रमें लगे हुए किसी वेदपाठी ब्राह्मणकी होमधेनु उधर आ निकली। उसने अनजानमें उस थधेनुको (हिंस्र जीव समझकर) अकस्मात् मार डाला-
so ’gnihotra-prasaktasya kasyacid brahmavādinaḥ | jaghānājñānataḥ pārtha homadhenūṃ yadṛcchayā ||
Wika ni Nārada: “O Pārtha, minsan, habang ang isang brāhmanang bumibigkas ng Veda ay abala sa kanyang Agnihotra, ang kanyang sagradong bakang pang-alay (homa-dhenū) ay nagkataong napadpad doon. May isang tao, dahil sa kamangmangan—napagkamalan itong mapaminsalang nilalang—at napatay ang baka nang hindi sinasadya.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical nuance: harm done ‘out of ignorance’ (ajñānataḥ) differs in moral intent from deliberate violence, yet it still raises questions of responsibility and the need for expiation or corrective dharma.
Nārada recounts an incident: while a Veda-reciting brāhmaṇa is performing Agnihotra, his ritual cow wanders in; someone, not recognizing it and thinking it a dangerous creature, kills it accidentally.