Shloka 2

शृङ्गिशापः—तक्षककाश्यपसंवादः (Śṛṅgī’s Curse and the Takṣaka–Kāśyapa Dialogue)

Devanagari script

जरत्कारुर्वाच मम पूर्वे भवन्तो वै पितर: सपितामहा: । तद्‌ ब्रूत यन्मया कार्य भवतां प्रियकाम्यया,जरत्कारुने कहा--आप मेरे ही पूर्वज पिता और पितामह आदि हैं। अतः बताइये आपका प्रिय करनेके लिये मुझे क्या करना चाहिये। मैं ही आपलोगोंका पुत्र पापी जरत्कारु हूँ। आप मुझ अकृतात्मा पापीको इच्छानुसार दण्ड दें

Transliteration

Jaratkārur uvāca: mama pūrve bhavanto vai pitaraḥ sapitāmahāḥ | tad brūta yan mayā kāryaṃ bhavatāṃ priyakāmyayā | ahaṃ hi yuṣmākaṃ putraḥ pāpī Jaratkāruḥ | māṃ akṛtātmānaṃ pāpiṣṭhaṃ yathā-icchaṃ daṇḍayata ||

Translation

Jaratkāru thưa: “Các ngài quả là tổ tiên của con—cha ông và ông nội. Xin hãy chỉ cho con biết con phải làm gì để mưu cầu lợi ích và làm đẹp lòng các ngài. Con là đứa con Jaratkāru của các ngài, vướng tội lỗi; xin cứ trừng phạt con theo ý muốn, vì con là kẻ chưa trọn kỷ luật, đáng bị quở trách.”

Word by Word

• {'jaratkāruḥ uvāca': 'Jaratkāru said', 'mama pūrve': 'my predecessors/ancestors', 'bhavantaḥ': 'you (honorific plural)', 'pitaraḥ': 'fathers

• ancestors', 'sapitāmahāḥ': 'together with grandfathers/forefathers', 'tad brūta': 'therefore tell (me)', 'yat ... kāryam': 'what is to be done', 'mayā': 'by me', 'bhavatām': 'for you (genitive plural, honorific)', 'priyakāmyayā': 'with the desire to do what is pleasing/beneficial', 'putraḥ': 'son', 'pāpī': 'sinful

• tainted', 'akṛtātmā': 'one of unaccomplished self-discipline

• not self-mastered', 'yathā-iccham': 'as you wish', 'daṇḍayata': 'punish (imperative, plural)'}

Speaker

तक्षक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jaratkāru
• pitaraḥ (ancestors)
• pitāmahāḥ (grandfathers/forefathers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes responsibility toward one’s lineage: acknowledging the claims of the ancestors (pitṛ-ṛṇa, the ‘debt to the forefathers’) and submitting oneself to correction. Ethical action is framed as doing what benefits and pleases those to whom one is indebted, coupled with humility and willingness to accept consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jaratkāru addresses his forefathers, recognizing them as his ancestors and asking what he must do to secure their welfare. He confesses his own fault and invites punishment, signaling readiness to follow their instruction—an important setup for the duty he must undertake to continue the lineage.